Care Bears Z
by EpicSmiley12
Summary: Years have passed. The spirits of Earth's greatest guardians lie dormant. However, as evil arises, it is time for them to reawaken. Come along for a journey of epic proportions as the defenders of caring rise again!
1. Episode 01: New Beginnings, Part I

**Hey everybody! Okay, so I thought I had learned my lesson on posting big stories (aka ones with a bunch of chapters) when I fell behind on them all. However, I just couldn't help myself! I've been into Care Bears lately, and I have decided to do two new stories: Darkest of the Dark and Care Bears Z. I have already gotten started on DotD, but CBZ is really calling me. So, I will post that one first. However, I will not be able to upload any more stories until maybe Friday, as I will be traveling out of town (ah, grandma's old house of no internet, how I love and hate you). Anyway, about this story…**

**Care Bears Z is really more of a reboot of the series. It is heavily inspired by the fan anime series Care Bear Stars, which was unfortunately discontinued. It was a really great project, though. I am trying my hardest not to copy the creator's ideas, but if anything seems familiar, it was most likely inspired by the fan anime. (Unless I make a reference to some other thing like a game or movie, but I will usually point it out.)**

**Like I said, Care Bears Z is going to be a reboot. There will be a lot of characters from the original 1980's TV series as well as some of the ones from the newer shows, and some OCs. There will also probably be a lot of drawbacks to old episodes. My main goal is to try and make this as awesome as I can and do this show justice. Yeah, no pressure. *smiles weakly***

**But enough talk. On with the story!**

_**~Z~**_

Tiara Hart had never been more frightened.

Her heart raced as she bolted through the winding alleyways of the city. She had been running nonstop for a good 15 or 20 minutes, but it felt like hours. Her only breaks were the pauses between each time her foot touched the ground. She could feel her legs aching, her lungs burning as she pushed them to their limits. However, she knew she could not stop. She couldn't let _them _catch up. Even now she could feel their presence, looming just behind her, waiting for her to slow down and fall into their grasp.

She couldn't let them take her.

This kind of thing never usually happened in Carenburg. It was a peaceful city; one would hardly even notice it on a map of the United States or even Pennsylvania, where it was located. It was such a quiet town; it was hardly ever recognized on any news except its own. The crime rate was next to nothing; perhaps an odd break-in or theft (like once in every two years), but never a murder, assault, or even a kidnapping. Perhaps that was why she was so scared. Nothing like this ever happened, not in the 26 years of her life!

Tiara began to stumble. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself further. She couldn't let those ghastly things catch her. She kept on for _his_ sake, if not for hers. The memory of the last half hour was still vivid in her mind. It had been a regular evening for the two of them. She and her husband, Niall, had been walking through the quiet streets, chatting and watching the shops begin to close for the night. He had held her close, his arm gently wrapped around her. She remembered when his grip suddenly tightened, and the thrill of fear that had shot through her at his alarmed face. They had emerged without warning, their dark bodies slithering over the walls and street.

"_Come on!" he shouted. He gripped her arm, pulling her along as he ran. She numbly ran with him, her eyes hardly leaving the dark shadows that groped and slashed at them. She didn't know what those things were, but in her heart she knew they were dangerous. The two ran as fast as they could down the now deserted street._

"_N-Niall!" she cried. Tiara stumbled and nearly fell to the ground. Niall caught her just in time. Hoisting her up, he half-carried her away from the shadows' reach. She was beginning to go numb with fear, her eyes slowly widening as the shadows began to surround them._

_It happened so quickly she didn't see what happened. Suddenly, she was on the ground, watching as Niall furiously tried to beat back the shadows. His efforts were futile, however, and he was overtaken by the dark entities._

"_Niall!" she cried. He looked up at her, his eyes crackling._

"_Tiara!" he shouted. "Get out of here! Run!"_

_Hesitating only a moment, Tiara stumbled to her feet, turned, and bolted. She looked back only once, and was met with the sight of Niall being carried down the street by half of the shadow gang. The other half turned and rushed at her. Tiara looked forward again and began running as fast as she could._

Tiara was gasping for air. Her legs felt like they would give out any second now, and she was sweating so much her long pink and purple hair hung in damp strands. She made it through one more alley, but it let out to a dead end. She fell to her knees for a second, and then tried to push herself up. Turning around, she saw the shadows closing in, their eyes glowing an ominous red. Panic gripped her heart. She squeezed her eyes shut, ready to meet the same fate that had befallen her husband.

Then she remembered his face.

Sudden warmth flowed through her, starting at her chest and traveling to her toes. Determination overcame the fear. Tiara opened her eyes.

_I won't let him down, _she thought, slowly getting to her feet. _He saved me. I won't let it be for nothing._

Warmth began to well up in her, gathering into her tummy. She could have sworn it was glowing. She squeezed her eyes shut again, though not out of fear. Even though she didn't see it, the shadows began to back away from the light she was emanating. Words began to form in her mind, and she said them without question.

"Care Bear STARE!"

A beam of light shot from her body. The shadows hissed in pain, and then retreated into the night. The light didn't stop for several seconds, but when it did, Tiara Hart was no longer standing in the alley. In her place was a three foot tall bear. It had light beige fur and a tuft of pink and purple hair on its head. Its belly fur was white, with a multicolored star with a heart inside it.

"Ohh…" the bear groaned. "What…what was that?" Blinking, she looked around. "The shadows…they're gone?" She put a paw to her head. Then she retracted it with a yelp of alarm. She looked over her body in wonder.

"I…I'm a bear!?" Tiara gasped. "Wha…how…ooh…" a sudden wave of fatigue crashed over her. She stumbled out of the alley, trying to remember her way home in her drowsiness. She turned onto a street, but her eyes drooped too far, and she collapsed.

_**~Z~**_

"Wha…where am I?" Tiara sat up. She was within a dimly lit space; there was nothing around her.

_You are asleep, my dear._

"Who's there? Who are you?" she looked around.

_I am known by many names, though you may call me the Great Wishing Star._

"Great…Wishing Star?"

_Yes. I am the watcher of dreams and wishes. I see the desires of everyone, and grant wishes as I see fit._

"Oh…but why are you talking to me?"

_You are Tiara Hart, a young woman living in the city of Carenburg. You and your husband, Niall Hart, were walking when you were attacked by a group of shadows._

"Y-you saw that?" her eyes widened.

_Yes. I foresaw it a long time ago. Unfortunately, it was not in my power to alter this event. However, there is something I must tell you._

"What's that?"

_You are Tiara Hart, but this you know. What you do not know is that you are also True Heart Bear, co-founder and "mother" of the Care Bear Family._

"The what?"

_As this is a dream, I am finally able to unlock your dormant memories. Allow me to show them to you…_

Tiara's shoulders slumped as memories began to play through her head. There were so many of them, so vivid, foreign yet uncannily familiar. She saw a small bear, the same color she had been, and inside she knew it _was_ her. She saw…_her_ as she talked with other bears, as well as other species of the little, candy-colored animals. One distinct memory showed her talking to a light purple horse with a light green and cornflower blue mane. He smiled at her, that same smile that she knew…

"Niall…" just like that, the memories were gone. True Heart touched her forehead in wonder. For some reason, tears began to well up in her eyes. "All those creatures…no, my family…"

_Yes, your family. The Care Bear family._

"I remember it all…and…!" she gasped as another memory popped into her head. She saw all of them, battling together against a man in a purple cape, a man with ice blue skin, and several others.

"No Heart…Cold Heart…the spirit book…I remember everything, everything about the battle!" she looked up at the…she supposed it was the sky. "What happened to them all?"

_They are sleeping. Their spirits lie dormant in the forms of humans. However, the time is upon us for them to awaken again. The attack tonight proved that._

"So…we have to wake them up? How?"

_In the same way you were Awakened tonight, True Heart, they will also awaken. However, this will not be an easy task. It will take time, and many trials await you._

…_Ah, the dawn comes. I am afraid I cannot stay with you much longer._

"But…I have so many questions!" she said. It was true. Questions buzzed about in her head, each of them about her human life, her Care Bear life, and the trouble in store.

_Try not to worry. I will guide you all as best I can. For now, take this._

A small, glowing star floated down to True. It was cute; it had big eyes and a happy smile. Suddenly, the little star vanished with a twinkle.

_He will be your helper. All you have to do is call on the Star Buddy. Now, as for finding the members of your family, it will not be too difficult. However, they might not believe you at first. At best you can point them in the right direction. When you encounter them, you will know. _The voice began to fade.

"Wait! How will I…"

Suddenly, she was drifting upward. It was slow at first, but got faster and faster until the world around her grew brighter. Finally, she jolted awake. True Heart blinked. Her eyes were wide with confusion.

"…find…them…"

_**~Z~**_

**That concludes the first part of "episode" one! I hope you liked it! Now, just a few notes:**

**I really don't know if there's an actual city called Carenburg, though I don't think there is. I just thought, if DiC could create Drab/Rainbow City, then I could stick Carenburg into Pennsylvania. BTW, does anyone know what episode the city came from? Awesome points and a virtual cookie if you do! ;)**

**Each of these chapters will sort of be like episodes. My brain seems to view this story (and many of my other stories) as an anime, and I tend to write them out as such.**

**Now. It's late. My foot is tapping and I don't know why. I'll try to work on the story while I'm traveling so I can type and post it when I get back. See you then!**

**~Smiley :)**


	2. Episode 02: New Beginnings, Part II

**Well, we were out of town longer than I expected. But I managed to get some work done on the story! Here is the next episode of Care Bears Z: New Beginnings Part II!**

_**~Z~**_

"Oh dear…what should I do?" True Heart thought aloud. She looked around the now sunlit street. Neat homes lined it, painted with pastel colors and framed with lawns just blooming with spring's flowers. True recognized it as the street her good friend Mrs. Lawson lived on. Before she could decide whether to move or not, however, her ears perked at the sound of approaching footsteps. Not knowing what else to do, she laid on the street as still as possible.

"Huh? A teddy bear?"

True Heart tried not to show her shock at the familiar boy's voice. Relief swept through her as two gentle hands picked her up. She could see a dark red shirt and a backpack strap, but she dared not move her eyes.

"Aww, she's so cute!" another voice, much younger and more feminine, cried. "Can we keep her?"

"I guess so. I can't imagine why someone would leave such a nice toy in the street." True felt herself being held out, and then be taken by two smaller hands. "Go and put her in your room."

"She's so warm and soft…it's like she's alive!" the little girl cooed. She hugged the bear, and True Heart fought the urge to hug back out of pure happiness. The girl turned and hurried back into her house, up the stairs, and into her room. As she was set gently on the plush bedspread, True managed to see some of the girl's features. She had short magenta hair with two mini pigtails on each side. She had big, bright blue eyes that seemed to catch the light and shine. She was wearing a white, long-sleeved shirt beneath a pink jumper. It was indeed Wendy Lawson, the daughter of her best friend.

"You rest right here, okay?" Wendy said happily. "I'll be back when I get home from school. Bye-bye!"

With that she was gone. True Heart was almost dizzy with happiness. How fortunate she was to have been found so quickly by who had to be the sweetest children on Earth! Then again, she had visited their house plenty of times…perhaps she had subconsciously gone to their street while looking for her own. This house was like a second home to her. She frowned. The thought had brought up the question she had hoped to avoid. Here she was, True Heart Bear, a Care Bear. Did that mean her human life was over? Was she still able to be considered Tiara Hart? Was it even possible to be two people?

She shook her head. That kind of thinking only made her confused and a little sad. It could wait. For now, perhaps she should think about how to find the members of her family.

_**~Z~**_

"Ready, Terrence!" Wendy said as she left the house. Terrence Lawson, her older brother by eight years, stood patiently by the driveway. He smiled at the seven year old as she ran up to him, her pigtails bobbing.

"Let's go, then." he said. The siblings began to walk down the street and out into the main sidewalk toward their schools. It was 7:30, but many of the town's business owners were up and getting their stores ready for the day. Terrence and Wendy both waved to Mrs. Landres as she opened the Good Luck Inn and Restaurant. They greeted Mr. Carter as he unlocked the jewelry store door. They smiled and stopped when they reached the antique shop. Ms. Bennett was just switching the closed sign to open in the window.

"Good morning, dears," she said cheerfully. "Hannah and Trent will be out in a moment, Wendy."

"Here we are!"

As if on cue. two little kids around Wendy's age came to the store's front. The girl, Hannah, had short, powder pink hair curled softly. She wore a light pink tunic and star-print leggings with pink ballet flats. Her twin brother, Trent, had short, slightly messy, light blue hair. He was wearing a light blue and white striped t-shirt, dark blue jeans, and white sneakers.

"Bye, Gramma!" The twins said in unison.

"Have a good day, my little darlings!" the kindly old woman called.

The group walked on. By the time they reached the elementary school, the yard was full of happily playing kids.

"I'll see you after school!" Wendy said, giving her brother a hug. "At three today, right?"

"No…I have another meeting today," Terrence ruffled her hair and smiled apologetically. "I won't be able to pick you up. Sorry…"

"Aw, it's okay. I'll go with Hannah and Trent!"

"Yeah, Gramma won't mind!" Trent smiled.

"Alright, then. I'll get you when the meeting is over." Terrence said. He gave them all one last smile before turning and walking on toward Carenburg High School.

"Bye, big brother!" Wendy shouted after him. When he was out of site, she sighed and turned to her friends.

"Sometimes I wish Terrence wasn't so busy," she said. "But it's good for him, right? He's really smart, so he gets a lot more important stuff to do…"

"He still cares a lot about you, Wendy," Hannah said. "You're right, though…he has an awful lot to do lately…"

"Well, it's no surprise!" Wendy perked up. "They don't let just any ninth grader be class president!"

"C'mon, you two, the swings are open!" Trent said. The three friends ran off to enjoy what was left of their morning recess.

_**~Z~**_

Terrence continued walking toward his high school. He couldn't help but feel a little bad for not being able to walk Wendy home, what with their dad being super busy at the mayor's office and their mom…he sighed. He kept telling himself not to worry, that she would be fine and come home soon, but it was in his nature.

"Yo, Terrence!"

The boy's thoughts snapped back to reality at the voice of his friend. A smile grew on his face. He sped up to reach the other teen.

"Ben!" he caught up, pausing right next to his best friend, Benjamin DeWitt. He was taller than Terrence by about half an inch, and had wild orange hair that refused to stay combed. He was wearing an army green jacket over a red-orange shirt, had slightly ripped jeans, and white sneakers. He also wore his signature smirk on his face.

"Dude, you have to tell me your secret." he said. Terrence blinked, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't act like you don't know. You made the honor's list again," Benjamin shook his head. "How is it possible?"

"I did? Huh…" Terrence pushed his hands into his jean pockets.

"Seriously, Terrence, you are one of the smartest ninth graders here," Ben looked up at the school; they had arrived. "On the list you're second place. Brandon got first again."

"No surprise," Terrence walked up the steps through the thinning crowd of students. "He's one of the smartest people here, period. I sometimes wonder why I'm not his treasurer."

"It's 'cause he's not all take-charge like you, Mr. President."

"Oh, you're talking to me about take charge?" he laughed.

By now, the longtime friends had reached the hall where they split to go to their lockers. Bidding each other goodbye, they went their separate ways. However, someone else was waiting for Terrence at his locker.

"Hiii, Terrence!" she said in a bubbly voice. Lisa Clarke was another of Terrence's good friends; he had known her since preschool. He tried not to blush as she looked up at him with her ice blue eyes glittering expectantly.

"Hey, Lisa," he said as he opened the locker. "What's up?"

"I hear the SGA's planning an end of the year dance. Is that true?" she asked casually. Terrence nodded as he picked out his French book.

"Yeah, we're already working out the plans," he said. "It's still only April, but I think this plan is here to stay."

"I see…" The girl looked away, smoothing out her pleated pink skirt. Terrence's eyebrow rose curiously.

"Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason…" The warning bell sounded. "Oh! Gotta run! I'll see you at lunch, Terrence!" she smiled and walked off to the Math hallway.

"Bye…" Terrence whispered. He closed his locker and headed to class.

The rest of the day proved normal, thus largely uneventful. The SGA meeting only provided Terrence with two pieces of information: one, the percentage of honor roll students had jumped from 81% to 86% after third quarter; and two, according to Brandon's calculations there was enough money in the treasury to easily pull off an end of the year dance. Terrence sighed as he walked Wendy home from the antique shop, only half listening to how her day went. He couldn't wait to get home and fall asleep the second his homework was finished.

_**~Z~**_

True Heart had been within the Lawson house all day, and had had quite a long time to think. She had thought first of Mrs. Lawson, as her mind hadn't been able to completely leave the subject of her human life. The young mother was currently at the hospital again, recovering from another round of chemotherapy. She had been frail since childhood, but had always been a pure joy to talk to. True thought of the plans she had made to visit her tomorrow; how could she possibly get there now?

Then there was another issue. Tiara Hart wasn't a celebrity in Carenburg, but she was well known. Certainly someone would have noticed that she and Niall were missing by now? Her heart had skipped a beat when she remembered the meeting she was supposed to have attended today. Being the secretary to the district attorney was no small job. Tiara was aspiring to be a lawyer, because of her fondness for truth and justice. How ironic, the soon-to-be-defense attorney nearly kidnapped.

These kinds of thoughts had dominated her morning, but when she finally got them out of her head True Heart was able to focus on finding the rest of her family. A lot of pondering her current situation had gotten a gear turning in her head. The more she thought about the two kids that had found her, the more familiar they seemed. When she had compared them to her memories of her Care Bear family, she almost cried with joy. It had to be them. It had to! The more she thought this, the more excited she got. Now she was sitting on Wendy's bed, staring out the window impatiently for them to get home. She had jumped crazily when they came up the street. She almost ran downstairs to greet them when another thought struck her…

How would she ever tell them the truth?

She stopped in her tracks, sitting back on the bed. Of course, she could always _tell_ them. After all, how else could you explain a walking, talking, feeling teddy bear that knew all about you? However, this wouldn't convince them that _they_ were part of the Care Bear family. That would be much harder. True Heart contemplated calling the Star Buddy out, in case he could ask the Great Wishing Star for advice. However, before she could act, footsteps came tapping up the stairs.

"I'm home, Teddy Bear!" Wendy said, seemingly not noticing that the bear had moved from its previous position. "Hmm…we'll have to think up a better name for you…but that can wait." She flopped down onto the bed with a sleepy smile.

"I'm sleepy…it's only five, though…I walked home with Hannah and Trent today. They're my best friends in the whole world. Terrence was busy at school. Dad is still busy at work. And mama…" Wendy's smile disappeared. "She's sick. She's at the hospital. I wish we could help her get better, but…" the little girl sighed. True Heart kept still, not yet ready to reveal herself. After all, she had just seen a little bit more of Wendy's heart. Such a sweet little girl, yet so troubled…

"Wendy! It's time for dinner!" Terrence called up the stairs.

"Coming!" the girl called back. She gave True Heart a small smile. "I'll see you in a little bit, okay?"

It was all True Heart could do not to jump up and hug the sweet child.

_**~Z~**_

Terrence yawned as he put his pencil down on the desk. With his homework done, the dishes washed, and Wendy in bed, he was ready to sleep. He stood up from his computer chair and turned toward the door.

"…Huh?"

It took a moment for the boy to realize he wasn't dreaming. Eyes widening to the size of dinner plates, he backpedaled up the wall. Sky blue eyes stared into his. Suddenly, he didn't feel scared, just confused.

"The teddy bear from this morning…" he blinked several times.

"That's right," it said in a feminine voice. "But I'm not a teddy bear. I'm a Care Bear." She stepped into the light. Terrence gaped as she approached his bead and climbed onto it.

"Wha…how…"

"I know this seems hard to believe, Terrence," she said. "But I've known you for a long time. You know me, too."

"How…do you know my name?"

"It's…a long story."

And so she told it. Terrence was now wide awake, hanging onto every word True Heart said. It was incredible; was this creature really the kind friend of his family?

"Wait, so Mr. Hart got kidnapped?" Terrence asked. True Heart nodded sadly.

"Yes. What's more, I don't know why I took on my true form, and I don't know how to turn back," she looked at her arms. "And I don't know how to find Niall."

"So…you think I'm a Care Bear, too?" he leaned closer to her. "And Wendy?"

"Yes," True Heart smiled earnestly at him. "You don't remember anything yet, but I'm certain you are."

At that moment, the sound of wailing sirens traveled down the street. Looking to the window, Terrence and True Heart could see flashing red and blue lights.

"Police cars…what's going on?" Terrence peered after the cars as they turned toward Philadelphia. His heart dropped to his shoes.

"That's…the direction of the hospital…" Cold worry seeped into him. "Mom…?"

"Terrence!"

True Heart had slipped quickly out the room and downstairs, where she had turned on the TV. Luckily, it had been left on the new channel by Mr. Lawson. Terrence bolted downstairs, nearly tripping as he skidded into the living room.

"…Keeping the patients inside as hostages," the news reporter said. She was standing grimly in front of Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia. "Police are beginning to arrive on the scene not only from Philadelphia, but from Carenburg and Darby as well…"

"Look!" True Heart pointed at the screen. Looking closely, Terrence could see a slowly moving blot of darkness near one hospital window. "It's one of those shadows that came after me and Niall!"

Terrence's eyes widened in horror. The shadow was hovering around the second floor, the one his mother was on. He cast a fearful look at True Heart, who cast a worried, yet certain look back.

Assuring that Wendy was completely asleep and the house was locked tight, Terrence sat True Heart in his backpack, hopped on his bike, and sped off to Philadelphia.

_**~Z~**_

**Phew! That's a lot of words. Sorry to leave it on such a cliffhanger, but the next chapter won't be far off! Most likely I'll post it tomorrow or Monday. Thank you all so much for your reviews! It's very motivating to see reviews from such great authors ^_^ You guys keep up the good work, too!**

**Oh, and another thing: For the sake of memory, I'm giving everyone names that have the same first letter as their Care Bear name. For example, Tiara Hart = True Heart Bear, Niall Hart = Noble Heart Horse. From now on, though, it'd be fun for you to guess who's who. I suppose you all know who Terrence and Wendy are? What about Benjamin? Lisa? Hannah, Trent, and Ms. Bennett? ;)**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I was watching the old CBF episode "The Care Bear Town Parade". Champ Bear said something that made me shout at my TV, and made my mom shush me (watchin' DVDs at midnight, YEAH!). It's something you shouldn't ever say to someone who's trying to save your life and your town. Ever. Especially when she's your (headcanon) girlfriend. If you remember that episode you might know what I'm talking about. Have a good night!**

**~Smiley :)**


	3. Episode 03: New Beginnings, The Finale

**Back with another episode! Hurray! I hope you like it. Care Bears Z, Episode 3: New Beginnings, the Finale!**

_**~Z~**_

Terrence had never pedaled so hard in his life. It might not have been the easiest way to reach Philadelphia, but it was definitely the fastest. He had no time to wait for the bus, which was Carenburg's only transportation in and out of the small city.

True Heart had insisted she go with him. After all, she knew slightly more about those shadowy creatures than he did, and was his mom's best friend. She stayed in his backpack throughout the ride, her head poking out of the top, silently worrying. Terrence was running on pure adrenaline, stopping only for passing cars. The night was far from dark; the city lights illuminated the streets. Finally, he came to the hospital parking lot. One side was full of officials like police and medical staff. The other was full of newscasters and reporters. Terrence set his bike down in one of the grassy spots around the lot.

"How are we going to get in?" Terrence asked True Heart, who gazed up at the tall building. She gulped at the sight of the dark, menacing shadows. The horrid creatures circled the top of the hospital like vultures.

"I don't know…" True Heart turned her eyes to the night sky. Not many stars were visible through the street lights' glares. "Great Wishing Star…can you help us?" She closed her eyes. "Star Buddy…are you there? I need you!"

A soft tinkling sound, like that of a bell, reached her ears. Opening her eyes, True Heart saw the little golden friend flying around above her. The Star Buddy floated down to her and Terrence, twinkling gently. Terrence simply stared in wonder at the little creature as it examined him curiously.

"Star Buddy, can you find a way into the hospital?" True Heart asked. The star made the tinkling sound again. It flew upward, and then swooped closer to the building. After a while it returned, and squeaked to get the attention of True Heart.

"Have you found something?" she asked. The star squeaked and gestured to a side of the building covered by the trees and shrubs. It was dark and silent; not a soul was over there. The group could just make out a door behind the bushes.

"Good work," Terrence commended the little star. Star Buddy tinkled happily and flew off in the direction of the door. The boy and Care Bear followed it, making sure to keep out of the shadows' sight. When they reached the door, the little star squeaked and faded away.

Opening the door proved to be easy; Terrence jiggled the doorknob and it popped open. It appeared to lead into an old wing of the hospital, which was probably due to be renovated. There wasn't a person – or light source – in sight. The trees outside obscured most of the moonlight with their growing leaves. Terrence walked as quickly and as quietly as possible, cringing as his footsteps echoed through the dark corridor. True Heart's eyes darted around nervously. She tried to tell herself she wasn't scared, but every shadow seemed to float around, and every silhouette appeared to move.

Terrence walked for ages, peering around corners and into rooms, going up stairwells and through treatment wings, searching for any sign of life. Finally, he saw a sliver of light just beyond one door on the second floor. Peering through the tiny gap in the door frame, he could make out the flickering light of a candle. The dancing flame cast writhing shadows on the wall…then Terrence looked closer. The shadows weren't caused by the candle, they were _the _shadows. The evil creatures flew silently around the room, their glinting eyes cold and red. On the far side of the room, Terrence and True Heart could make out what looked like several people sitting on the floor. Terrence swallowed a yell of shock when he saw rose-colored hair fanned out on the floor.

"I…I think that's my mom," he whispered to True Heart. She peered through the door, and her grim face confirmed his fears.

"What should we do?" he asked. True Heart glanced at the shadows.

"The last time I fought those things, I did a Care Bear Stare. It's…sort of like a spell. You basically concentrate all your positive feelings into light, shoot it out, and it hurts the shadows."

"Do you think I could do that if I tried?" he asked. "How did you even do it?"

"I…don't know," True Heart whispered back. "I just thought of my husband, my positive feelings, and my determination to win…I suppose it's always been more of a reflex than something I learned to do."

"I still don't remember anything," Terrence's voice was barely audible. "About being a Care Bear, I mean. I still don't know if I'm the one you're looking for. But…I'm willing to do anything, if it'll save-

"Well, what have we here?"

"EEK!" True Heart and Terrence both jumped at the unknown, high-pitched voice. Turning around, they came face to face with a girl that had to be only a few years older than Terrence. She had a pale face, a nasty smirk, and a sadistic glint in her eye.

"Intruders? I thought I told that fool to patrol every inch of this place…" she lost her smirk and gained an annoyed look. "Oh well, you'll just have to join the others…wait, what's this?"

Leaning down, the girl studied True Heart closely. Said bear backed up into the wall, glaring at the girl she didn't think she'd see for a long time. A smile slowly began to grow on the girl's face, and as she stood up, she began to laugh.

"I don't believe it!" she exclaimed. "It's one of them! I found one of them! Haha!" she smiled toothily. "Wait till he sees! Just wait till he sees! He's going to be so proud of me!"

"Shrieky!"

The girl's expression turned back to annoyed as harried footsteps grew closer to them. Terrence's eyes bulged as the owner of the sound came running around the corner, nearly crashing into the girl apparently named Shrieky. It was a young man, looking to be around 19, though he certainly wasn't a normal teenager. His face, for starters, had animal features: his nose was rather pig-shaped, his eyes were a sickly yellow color, and his ears were long and pointed with tufts of fur the color of his hair, light brown, on the tips. Two small, curved horns also poked out of his forehead. Secondly, He was wearing what looked like a 20th century pilot's outfit, complete with a pointed pilot hat and goggles. Finally, his voice was unlike anything Terrence had ever heard. It was high-pitched and whiny, yet raspy and gravelly at the same time. It was unexplainable, and combined with the bizarre features he seemed almost-

"Beastly," True Heart gasped. "Is…is that you?"

"Who wants to know?" the man turned around. Looking down, he caught sight of the little tan bear. "Well I'll be, if it isn't one of the Care Bears! I see you've noticed my upgrade," Beastly flexed his arms for emphasis. "Anyway, Shrieky, I was coming to tell you that I found an open door on the first floor! We might have intruders!"

"These ARE the intruders, you idiot," Shrieky said through clenched teeth. Beastly studied Terrence and True Heart for a moment before realization dawned on him.

"Oh…well, what are we gonna do with 'em?" he asked, smiling menacingly at True Heart. Then he turned to Terrence. "Who's this kid, anyway?"

"You don't need to know," True Heart retorted, suddenly feeling extremely protective. "What's important is that we're here to stop you from harming these people!"

"Yeah!" Terrence glared at the two bad guys, who were beginning to feel awfully familiar. "Why are you holding cancer patients hostage? How low could you possibly sink?"

"They are the perfect candidates for Master No Heart's experiments," Shrieky said. "After all, lives that would eventually be lost anyway are the best kind to use for lab rats."

Terrence's pupils shrank. No Heart…That name was so familiar to him, somehow.

"How dare you?!" True Heart shouted. "These people are on the road to recovery. They aren't guaranteed to die!"

"Oh no?" Shrieky smirked. She pushed open the door. "Just look at them."

There had to have been about twenty people in the room. They were all huddled against the far wall, near the window. Their eyes were tired and fearful; they simply stared at the four in the doorway. Some of them had no hair upon their heads, and a few were even lying on the floor, unconscious. Terrence's heart twisted at the sight of his mother, in the middle of the small circle of people. She was lying between two others that were also asleep.

"They're wasting away already," Shrieky sneered. "Even if their treatments do work, they won't live too long. Human lives are horribly short."

"How…how can you be so cruel?" True Heart whispered. "You're even more heartless than before…"

"That's because I'm the opposite of everything you stand for," Shrieky hissed. "I don't care about anything. Nothing. At. All."

The shadows swooped around darkly, reaching out with their smoky claws. True Heart backed up, but she didn't stop glaring at Shrieky.

Terrence wasn't moving. He stood stock-still, his eyes trained on the group of people. Inside, his heart was racing. Blood rushed by his ears, warmth spread through his body, and a firm resolve welled up in his mind. Things were becoming clear to him. The names, the voices…everything made sense now. Sudden memories entered his mind: visions of him dealing with these two before, visions of them in different forms…and visions of that man, that awful, awful man…then came fonder memories...that of him and others, just like him...he shut his eyes tight. When he opened them again, they were glinting with a newfound light.

"You won't be hurting these people, Shrieky," he said. "And No Heart isn't going to get to them. Not while the Care Bears still stand."

"Terrence…" True Heart gasped.

"I wasn't sure at first…but I know who I am now. I remember." True Heart could feel the warmth radiating from Terrence's heart. She saw his hidden strength that had always been beneath his surface. "I am Terrence Lawson, yes…but I'm also a Care Bear." He smiled confidently.

"Defender of the pained,  
Comforter of the hurting,  
I sense the emotions of the world  
So that I may show them they are not alone.  
I am Tenderheart Bear!"

"W-What's happening?" Beastly looked around nervously. The shadows above them howled in pain as light began to radiate from the boy. The patients in the room looked on in silent wonder.

Terrence narrowed his eyes in determination. Warmth and comfort flowed through his body, welling up into his very core. True Heart felt the same warmth she had felt that previous night spread through her again. She stood next to Terrence, unaware that her body was changing, growing into a more human form. Terrence didn't notice either, but the villains before them did. They shrank back as light emanated from the two people.

"We are part of the Care Bear family," Terrence said. "Guardians of all that is good and loving. We will not stand for the wrongdoings of those full of hatred!"

"We will protect the people of the world, and show them the way of love and caring!" Tiara Hart added. The two guardians of caring felt something drop into their hands. They gripped the objects, holding them out toward the villains. Tiara turned to Terrence, who nodded at her. The words came to their mouths without a single thought.

"CARE BEAR STARE!"

Bright, warm light flooded the hospital. The shadows hissed and screeched in pain before dissipating into nothingness. Beastly and Shrieky howled, shielding their eyes from the light. The patients were not harmed by this light, and they merely gaped at the people before them.

The light finally began to dim, and when it disappeared completely, Beastly and Shrieky were gone. However, Terrence and Tiara could clearly hear the girl's shrill voice as she escaped through the hospital.

"You won this time, Care Bears!" she screamed. "But you won't win again! No Heart will stop you! He won't lose this time around! Just you wait and see!"

_**~Z~**_

Tiara and Terrence were looking over their new forms. Tiara had become human again, though she was now wearing a tan, long-sleeved, bell-cuffed shirt with her tummy symbol on the stomach, lacy white gloves, a short, tan, scallop-hem petticoat skirt, white, lacy, over-knee socks, and white Mary Jane shoes. Terrence now wore a long-sleeve, reddish-brown shirt with two coattails and a red heart edged in white on the stomach: his tummy symbol. He also wore mahogany colored gloves, cinnamon brown corduroys, and ebony boots. The two guardians also discovered the items they had been given; two ballpoint pens, each one the respective coat color of their owner and having their tummy symbol on the top. Upon clicking them, however, their outfits disappeared, and they were back in the normal clothes they had been wearing before battle. In Tiara's case, she was back to wearing the same outfit she'd been wearing the night before: a simple lavender sundress with long sleeves. The woman was about to make a comment when she looked out the window and saw several figures moving toward the hospital's entrance.

"Come on, Terrence," Tiara urged. "The police will be in here any moment now. There are too many questions we won't be able to answer."

"But…" the boy cast a look at his mother, still lying on the floor within the circle of dazed patients. "But the patients…and my mom…"

"I know," Tiara frowned slightly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "But I don't think we'll be able to do anything more for them right now. We should go."

Terrence reluctantly agreed. Casting one last glance at his mother, he followed Treat Heart out of the room and back the way they had come. By the time they were outside, several flashlights were waving around in the room they had been in. Tiara looked up at the night sky, endless questions bouncing around in her mind. Her thoughts were interrupted by Terrence as he cleared his throat.

"How are we going to get back home? I can't bike you now…" he yawned. Tiara realized just how late it must be. They had left the house at around 8:45, though it must have been almost 10:00 by now.

"I don't think you should ride your bike home," she said, her voice sounding motherly. "It's dark out, and you're already exhausted. I'll get us a bus ticket home."

"What about my bike?" Terrence asked sleepily.

"I'll bring it home for you," Tiara said. "I could rent a chain at that shop we passed coming here, then come back and get it." She grabbed the two-wheeler and set it upright. "Come on, now; you've got school tomorrow."

Too tired to argue, Terrence plodded after Tiara. The young woman did just as she had promised; she rented a chain and bound the bicycle to a post outside the bus station. They managed to catch the second to last bus to their small city. Tiara sat with Terrence the whole ride, smiling softly as he tried not to doze off on her shoulder. When they finally reached Carenburg, Terrence could barely walk straight up the stairs. He flopped down on his bed and was asleep before he hit the pillow.

When he awoke with the morning's light, his bike was sitting patiently in the driveway.

_**~Z~**_

**There you have it! Okay, some important news:**

**School is back in session, so updates will be slower. I'm cutting it close just posting this today!**

**Updates will now be on every Monday, though I promise the chapters will be good!**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I found the downloads for a bunch of Care Bear soundtracks. I've been listening to Forever Young and Flying My Colors nonstop! :)**

**Thank you for reading!**

**~Smiley :)**


	4. Episode 04: Snatching and Suspicion

**Last time on Care Bears Z, True Heart discovered the first member of her family, Tenderheart Bear (AKA Terrence Lawson), while helping him defend his human mother – among other cancer patients – from the evil Shrieky and Beastly. However, many questions are still unanswered as the two Care Bears continue to search for the rest of the Caring Guardians. Will Tiara and Terrence be able to reunite their family and stop No Heart's uncaring plans? Read on to find out in Care Bears Z Episode 4: Snatching and Suspicion!**

_**~Z~**_

Tuesdays were usually a good day for Terrence. The school week was still new, there weren't any meetings for the SGA, and he got to see Lisa in Geometry. However, today he just couldn't concentrate on triangles and their mid-segments. His mind kept going back to the events of not only the night before, but of the morning as well.

He had miraculously woken up on time today, despite the events of the night and the revelation that he was indeed part of the Care Bear family. He had even felt fully rested, and completely able to get through the morning without a single yawn. However, his little sister Wendy had been inclined to express her chagrin over the disappearance of the teddy bear they'd found yesterday. Terrence had been able to come up with a story to sate her, and though it had been vague and Wendy wasn't a gullible child, it wasn't a lie. He had simply said that the bear, named True Heart, was indeed alive and had left in search of her family. Of course, he didn't tell Wendy about the previous night's events, for after seeing what the Care Bear family was up against he was concerned for her safety. Wendy had been skeptical at first, but being a child with a keen sense of wonder, she was willing to accept his story.

The second thing on his mind was the fact that, upon waking up, Terrence had realized that his father was not home. Mr. Lawson, being the secretary for the mayor of Carenburg, often had to leave for work early, though usually late enough to greet Terrence and Wendy as they entered the kitchen. However, there was no trace of the man, and this caused worry to bloom deep in Terrence's heart. It wasn't until he'd seen the blinking red light on the answering machine that the worry went away. His father had called at around 9:00, after Terrence had left with True Heart.

"Terrence? You must be asleep by now…" the message had started off. "You work yourself so hard…anyway, I'm calling to tell you that there was an emergency meeting at the office, and I won't be home 'till late or maybe not until tomorrow. The boss really has me in a pinch, filing all of these documents on the new laws…" there was a slight pause. "Well, I hope you understand, son. Take care of Wendy, and don't overwork yourself like your old man, okay?" Then there was a little chuckle, though there was a bit of sadness behind it. Terrence heard that sadness like a siren. It lodged itself in his throat and made his eyes water, but he swallowed it quickly as he heard Wendy get up.

Terrence tried to refrain himself from thinking about his dad too much. Mr. Lawson really was a hard working man, but there were times when even he became frazzled. Terrence knew that his dad often put on a brave face, usually when they all visited Mrs. Lawson in the hospital. Terrence supposed he had inherited that face; he seemed to wear it himself nowadays. Shaking his head, Terrence let his mind wander to the final, most pressing matter on his mind: the Care Bear Family.

He now knew of his old life, that of Tenderheart Bear. He remembered Care-A-Lot, he remembered the Forest of Feelings, and he remembered No Heart, Shrieky, and Beastly. Most importantly, he remembered every other member of his family, every Care Bear and Care Bear Cousin. His dreams had been filled with memories as he recalled more and more. There were only a couple foggy patches by the time he'd gotten to school. Try as he might, he just couldn't remember exactly how they had all gotten to Earth, or just how they had all managed to become human. He also wondered about his human life. Was he now able to be considered a human? Was he ever really "Terrence"? He also wondered about True Heart. She had been in normal form when he'd found her. She had changed back when they'd fought Beastly and Shrieky…but why? True Heart had also said something about the Great Wishing Star…what did he have to do with all this?

"Terrence!" a soft voice called him back from his musing. He turned to see the concerned face of Lisa. Her eyes, as blue and emotional as always, studied him carefully.

"You're spacing out a lot today. Are you okay?" she asked. Terrence swallowed, ridding the sudden dry feeling from his mouth before answering.

"I'm fine, Lisa."

"Good, so you can help me with this!" Lisa pointed to a problem in her book. Terrence glanced at the page and nodded. He decided that all those issues could wait until after school. After all, a test was coming up on Friday and they both needed to review.

_**~Z~**_

Lake Erie was a truly beautiful place in the spring. Trees, flowers, and animals emerged to greet the fair weather after waiting out winter's chill. However, there was one particular spot just inside the Pennsylvanian side of the Ohio-Pennsylvania border and just beside the lake, where not a single animal trod. There was complete silence; not even a breeze rippled the glassy surface of the lake here. The animals and wind seemed to actually avoid this place for some reason. Any normal human might see it as strange, but simply shrug and walk away. Then again, any normal human wouldn't be able to see the writhing mass of dark clouds as they swirled and thundered above this deserted spot. The clouds actually cloaked something even more ominous: a gothic, stone castle crawling with shadows.

"So…you've found them then?" a deep, menacing voice echoed through the dank room. Dim candlelight flickered about the walls, making the speaker's figure all the more menacing.

"Y-yes, No Heart," Beastly said with a nervous smile. He stood just behind the evil magician, peeking around him into the castle's pit. He was no longer in his human form, and now resembled nothing more than a little brown furball with skinny arms, a snaggletooth, and an aviator hat. "They're in Carenburg, just outside of Philadelphia…"

"Yes…" as No Heart peered into the eerily glowing water of his cauldron, his form finally became visible. He wore a long mauve robe lined with crimson. A cowl with a bent point hid most of his face, save for his bushy green eyebrows and blood red eyes. "Then everything should work according to my design…unless of course, YOU don't screw it up, Beastly!" his shout caused his minion to tumble backwards into the wall. Beastly gulped and looked up at his master.

"O-of course not, N-No Heart," he stammered. "Everything will w-work out according to y-your p-p-plans."

"They'd better," the wizard growled. "Now, go! Shrieky will not go with you this time, so you had better succeed."

"Y-y-yes, No Heart!" Beastly shot to his feet and bolted out the door. As he exited the castle, his form began to elongate. His body grew taller and slimmer, his face rounder. His fur receded and his limbs became less bony. By the time he hopped onto his bike-helicopter, he was in the form of a humanoid young man. With a raspy laugh, Beastly lifted off and pedaled toward Carenburg. Back at the castle, No Heart left his cauldron and teleported into the dungeons of his lair. Though no-one saw it, one could have sworn that a dark smile had crept onto his face when Shrieky ran up to him, magic mirror in hand and delivered her report.

"He still won't talk, Uncle No Heart," she said. "I've tried yelling, and threatening, and zapping, and he still won't tell me!"

"Let me see him." the uncaring wizard strode silently to the barred cell in the wall. Within the cell was a young man, though he appeared to have animal qualities. His ears were long and slightly pointed, and a tail showed just above his pants. He fixed the villain with an angry glare.

"I told you already, No Heart, I don't know where the rest of them are!" Niall said. "Even if I did, I wouldn't tell you!"

"Too bad," No Heart said, his eyes glinting sadistically. "Well, we don't need your help anyway. We've found some of them, and as we speak Beastly is setting a trap to lure them here."

"Why tell me, then?" the humanoid scowled. "Just so you can brag?"

"I might as well, since you will be dead soon enough,"

Niall, of course, could not see the smile behind No Heart's cowl, but he could feel it, and he shuddered in spite of himself.

_**~Z~**_

Terrence had been available to pick up Wendy from school today, but she had already made plans to go to the park with Hannah and Trent. Therefore, Terrence had been invited to walk the city with Benjamin. Something, however, made the boy decline. Terrence wasn't quite sure why, but a nagging feeling of uneasiness had settled at the pit of his stomach. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He walked home a little faster than usual. The worried feeling inside him grew when he didn't see his father's car in the driveway. Terrence went inside, strode into the kitchen, and picked up the phone.

"…Hello?"

"Mrs. Hart, it's me, Terrence."

"Oh, hi, Terrence. Are you alright? You sound upset."

"Can…can I come over? I need to talk to you."

"Sure thing."

"Thanks." Terrence hung up the phone. He reached into his pocket and gripped the pen he'd received the previous night. He could feel the heart shape on top emanate warmth into the palm of his hand. With a deep breath, Terrence rushed out the door and through the neighborhood until he reached the street on which Tiara lived. Knocking on the cream-colored door urgently, he called her name. The door swung open, revealing Tiara in a flowing tan shirt and light blue jeans.

"My, you do look frazzled," the woman said. "Is something wrong, Terrence?" she led him into the house. They both sat down in the living room. The TV was on, but the volume was low. Terrence sighed deeply.

"I don't know. For some reason, I just feel…unsettled. It's as if something bad is going to happen, but I don't know what."

"You feel it too, then?" Tiara frowned. "All day I've been feeling a nagging sort of uneasiness. It's like I know something is wrong, that something is that shouldn't be…of course, it didn't help that I got in trouble at work. I don't know what I'm going to do; it was hard enough making an excuse as to where I've been. I also had to tell Niall's boss about…you know. It was hard to make it sound like he wasn't kidnapped." she put her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her palms. "It would be nice to have the law on our side, Terrence, but I just don't think the police would handle No Heart very well…"

"…" Terrence glanced at the TV. He did a double-take, and his eyes widened as he pitched forward in his chair. "True Heart, can you turn up the volume?"

Tiara hardly noticed the use of her Care Bear name as she grabbed the remote and pushed the volume button.

"…that she was taken from her own yard just an hour ago. Mrs. Clarke, her mother, reported hearing her daughter scream as well as loud crashes from outside. Police are now investigating the scene for any clue as to what exactly occurred, and who abducted Lisa Clarke."

Terrence felt his body go limp. His heartbeat seemed to slow down, and the rest of the report drifted away, along with True Heart's questions. All he could focus on was the picture of Lisa on the screen, and the reporter's words resounding through his head. _Kidnapped…_

"What do we do?" Tiara asked nervously. "Terrence? Terrence, snap out of it!"

"We've got to find her!" Terrence jumped from his seat. Tiara got up as well. She turned off the TV and instinctively grabbed her pen from the coffee table.

"Wait," she said. "How will we find her? I think we both know who kidnapped her, but where could they be?"

"…" Terrence looked at his own pen. With only a second's hesitation, he twisted the top. Bright, warm sparks sprang from it, covering his body. Within moments he was standing in the same outfit from last night. He held the pen out in front of him.

"Seek out evil, tummy symbol," he said. "Lead us to Lisa."

The heart on top of the pen spun around, causing another heart to form around it. This heart floated up and around in a wide circle before lying flat, the point of the shape pointing northwest. Nodding at Tiara, who had used her own pen and was now in her own battle outfit, the two Caring Guardians rushed into the street. No-one seemed to be out, even though it was only early evening. Terrence kept his eyes on the heart as it led them to No Heart, and to Lisa.

_**~Z~**_

**Sorry to cut it here, but I didn't want to make the chapter too long. What will happen now that the trap has been set? Will Terrence and Tiara rescue Lisa in time? Why are these questions making it sound like a soap opera? I'll try harder on the outro next time…**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: None this week! I'll think of something next time. :p**

**~Smiley :)**


	5. Episode 05: Lovely Revelations

**Last time on Care Bears Z, Terrence pondered the new complications in his life, while the evil No Heart sent Beastly to set a trap for the two newly awakened guardians of caring. It turns out that this trap needed bait – and Terrence's friend Lisa was the perfect kind! Will Terrence and Tiara be able to rescue Lisa and escape No Heart's clutches unscathed? Let's find out in Care Bears Z Episode 5: Lovely Revelations!**

_**~Z~**_

"Eek!" Lisa shrieked as the strange humanoid creature shoved her roughly into the cell. Her shoulder hit the cold stone wall hard, causing her shirt to rip a little. She looked up at the glowing yellow eyes of her captor.

"What are you? Let me out of here!" she gripped the iron bars of her prison. The creature merely laughed his bizarre-sounding cackle.

"I don't think so! You'll be taken care of soon enough when the Care Bears get here and are defeated!"

"Care Bears? What are you talking about?"

"Huh? You don't know?" the man-beast blinked in confusion. Then he shook his head and said, "Well, I guess it doesn't matter. No Heart will deal with all of you." He cackled again and rushed out of the dungeon. Lisa gripped her head in frustration.

All she had wanted to do was to practice her lines. Drama was her favorite after school activity, and she practiced every day, even when she had just gotten home from a rehearsal. She always preferred to practice outside in the back yard, where it was warm and peaceful. This is exactly what she had been doing when something big and yellow had crashed into the maple tree she liked to rehearse under…

"_Good sister, wrong me not, nor wrong yourself, to make a bondmaid and a slave out of me…" Lisa quickly glanced back at her script. "Believe me, sister, of all the men alive I have never yet beheld that special face…" she sighed. Of course, these weren't her real thoughts. Practicing the lines for her part in the drama team's play was almost a staple of her daily life. She knew how to act as if she were sweet, innocent Bianca, to pretend she didn't have a single special someone in her life. When she really thought about it, she was much like Bianca. Plenty of boys had asked her out before, and she had gently turned all of them down. Unlike Bianca, however, she didn't have a grouchy older sister (she did, however, have a very overbearing father). Also unlike this Elizabethan-Era beauty, she DID have a love interest…one she saw every day._

"…_In time I may believe, yet I mistrust." she sighed again, and let her script fall to the soft grass below. It was so terribly ironic; to think that she, Lisa Clarke, affectionate lover of all things romance and constant, yet good-hearted meddler in the romances of others, could not start a love story of her own. She saw him daily, talked to him, laughed with him…yet she could never tell him. The nervous, fizzy feeling that formed inside her whenever she tried to do so always killed the words before she could say them. _

_She often wondered if that feeling would ever go away. COULD it ever go away? Would she ever be able to show these true feelings? If she didn't…what would become of her? What about him? Did he feel like this, too? Could he possibly know already? Squeezing her eyes shut, Lisa stomped in frustration. Why did love have to be so complicated?_

_Eventually, Lisa bent down and picked up her script. There was no use worrying about her real-world problems while she was supposed to be focusing on Shakespeare's characters. After all, the play wasn't going to perform itself!_

"_Oh fie, the treble-_

_Lisa was cut off as something crashed through the branches of the maple tree. Branches snapped and newly grown leaves fell to the ground as the old tree groaned under the weight of whatever had landed in it. Lisa shrieked and backpedaled across the yard to the wall of the house. Her eyes never left the tree, and they widened as a tall man fell out of it. She had never seen such a strange-looking stranger; he seemed to have animal features on his face. The man was currently cursing and rubbing his head, on which he had fallen when he toppled down. His yellow eyes snapped open and stared straight at the girl. He suddenly smirked. Lisa pressed her back into the wall, fear beginning to tingle on her skin._

_The strange contraption that the man had been in fell to the ground with a heavy thud. It was some kind of helicopter attached to a bike, with a motorcycle-like passenger seat. The man jumped away just before it crushed him, and then leapt at the girl with a snarl and exceptional speed. Lisa, frozen with terror, could do nothing as she was grabbed and shoved roughly into the passenger seat. She swung her only weapon – her script – at his face, but failed to give him so much as a paper cut. He cackled oddly, then jumped onto the bike and began to pedal. Before she knew it, they were in the air, soaring toward the northwest. Lisa looked over the edge and gulped. She was far too high up to simply jump, and could not force him to land. A well of despair opened inside of her as she helplessly clung to the sides of the seat as the copter sped to who knows where._

Lisa clenched her hands around the cold iron bars. Tears bubbled into her eyes as the gravity of her predicament completely settled in. She sniffled and watched as her tears dripped to the stone floor, and shivered as a draft whistled around her legs.

"Don't cry," a voice said. "We'll be okay."

Lisa's head jerked up. She peered into the dark cell across from hers, which she had initially thought to be empty. She gasped when she saw that it actually had an inhabitant. However, the appearance of this other prisoner made her back to the wall in shock.

"Don't be afraid," the strange creature continued. "I know I may look strange, but I'm a friend."

"Wh-who are you?" she stammered. "What are you?"

"My name's Niall Hart," he said calmly. "I…well, it's hard to explain. It's a long story…"

"Well, it looks like we'll have time," Lisa came slowly back to the bars, the fear slipping away. "I'm Lisa, by the way."

"Well, Lisa, it happened like this…"

"_TIARA, RUN!" he shouted, still struggling to break free from the growing mass of shadows. He watched his wife look back once more before darting down the street._

_Niall gritted his teeth as the shadows began to rise into the night, their smoky tendrils gripping him like icy claws. They sped through the sky, going faster than anything Niall could remember. He could not keep the ghastly things away, and when he looked down, he could only see more of them as they chased Tiara through the streets of Carenburg. Anger swelled in his chest. How could he possibly come to her aid like this? He had sworn to be with her for better or for worse, even before they had exchanged vows. Being unable to protect her riled his emotions like nothing had ever done before._

"_Let…me…go!" he shouted, struggling even harder against the grip of the shadows. The dark, cold masses refused to release him, but suddenly began to howl. Niall finally realized that his body was emanating a warm, bright light. The shadows holding him hissed in pain and anger, but held tight, refusing to fail their mission. Niall could feel himself changing somehow. It was strange; he felt his body shrink slightly, and fur grow over his skin. His hair felt as if it was pushing itself out of his head. His feet melded together, forming two harder appendages with only a small separation where his toes usually were. Before anything more could happen, however, the shadows dropped him._

_He was horribly disoriented, and the vertigo of spinning as he fell did not help. He didn't know where he was at first, but suddenly his body broke the surface of frigid water. The shock lasted an initial minute, but then he felt himself being lifted. He cracked open his eyes and saw a man wearing a long purple robe, and then everything faded to black._

…_**I am terribly sorry it had to happen this way. No, don't speak. You must rest and heal. I am known as the Great Wishing Star. You do not remember anything yet, but I shall show you the way of your past life.**_

…

_**Yes, there are memories, memories of you, and all of those you love. Do you understand now?**_

…_**Yes, you are Noble Heart Horse. You are a Care Bear Cousin. Yes, the one who has captured you is indeed No Heart. I know what he seeks to accomplish, but I cannot tell you this. Complications have arisen.**_

…_**No, I cannot tell you where True Heart is, but know this: she is safe. She is already on her way to reuniting the Care Bear Family. Do not fret; you will be saved. You will see her and all the others very soon.**_

_**Now, awaken. The time has come for you to meet No Heart.**_

"_Ugh…" Niall groaned and sat up. His entire body was sore and cold, and his head pulsed as if someone had used it as a cymbal. Looking around, he noticed that he was lying on the floor of a dark, damp cell. The stone walls and floors were slimy with a strange, stinking mold. A horrible draft blew in from the far side of the room, which was blocked off by strong iron bars._

"_Ah, awake, are you?" a cold voice asked. Niall turned his head to see the same man with the robe – which he could now recognize as No Heart – walk into the room. He was being tailed by an older-looking version of Shrieky and a strange man whom he could only identify, by voice and features, as a newly-formed Beastly._

"_I told ya the shadow's spell would work, Shrieky," he said smugly. The girl merely rolled her eyes and scowled._

"_Yes, a new spell I have invented," the evil wizard continued. "If one of you wretched Care Bears tried to transform while in the clutches of my upgraded shadows, I spell cast on them would prevent the magic from completing this conversion." Niall blinked, a bit taken aback by the wizard's sudden use of such genius. "That is why you are what you are now."_

"_Wha…?" Niall finally looked over his body. He was still clothed, thankfully. However, instead of smooth human skin, a light purple coat lined his body. He was still as tall as he had been as a human, but now he had elongated ears and hooves instead of feet. He quickly got over his amazement, though, and glared up at No Heart. "Release me, No Heart! I don't know what you're planning, but we'll stop you!"_

"_Ha! Who is "we", Care Bear?" Shrieky scoffed. "The Care Bear family is scattered everywhere. You don't have any allies now!"_

_Niall opened his mouth to retort, but found he had nothing to say. It was true. He didn't even know where his wife was; how could he find his entire family? No Heart chuckled darkly as dread spread over the horse's face._

"_I see you have no reply," he said. "No matter. We will have use for you, soon. We will find the Care Bear family and eliminate them all, even if it is one by one."_

"_No!" Niall yelled, but the villains only laughed as they exited the room._

"Wow…so, you're part of the Care Bear family? You protect caring throughout the world?" Lisa had sat down, and now she slumped slightly. "That's amazing…but, why did No Heart capture me?"

"My guess is that either you know someone who is in the Care Bear family…or you are a Care Bear or Care Bear Cousin." Niall looked at her seriously. "Tell me, what do you like most? Perhaps your personality matches one of my family members."

"Well…I do like romance," Lisa said. "I love romance novels, songs, and movies. I sometimes get into my friend's lives to help them with romantic issues…that's about it really."

Niall was silent. Lisa looked around before speaking again.

"I…I think that's very noble of you, to save your wife. It's so sad, though…that you were taken from her…" her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh…I wonder if Terrence is okay…he…he's my-

"Love-a-Lot."

"Huh?" Lisa looked back to the Care Cousin. Niall was fixing her with a very serious, yet awed gaze.

"You…are exactly like the Care Bear Love-a-Lot.

_**~Z~**_

"What do we do, Terrence?" Tiara gasped as she finally stopped running. The teen boy in front of her slowed down a little. "The heart faded a little. We must be getting close. But I don't think we'll make it to wherever we're going on foot."

The duo had been rushing after the heart for quite a while. Night was beginning to settle over Pennsylvania, though the darkness didn't obscure the heart that pointed in the direction of Lisa. It had become less and less opaque as they went on, and they assumed that this meant they were getting closer.

"What do we do, then?" the boy asked in frustration. He looked at the pen in his hand. Frowning, he clicked it again and again. "Isn't there a faster way to get where we're going!?"

On the third click, something happened. Terrence jumped back in alarm as a large white cloud sprang from the pen. It floated to the ground, where it finally shaped into what looked like a car.

"What in the…" Terrence blinked before realizing what it was. "It's a cloud car!"

"Great! This'll be much faster!" Tiara jumped into the driver's seat. Terrence quickly got in next to her. "Hang on!"

She pressed on the gas pedal, and the car zoomed into the night sky after the star.

_**~Z~**_

"Love-a-Lot?" Lisa tilted her head. "Are you sure? Could I really be a Care Bear?"

"Yes. Your personality…it's just like her!"

"Really?" Niall could sense the doubt in her voice, but he knew deep inside that he was right. The memories the Great Wishing Star had given him matched up to a T.

"Yes. I'm positive." He moved closer to the cell bars. "You are Love-a-Lot Bear."

"…" Lisa didn't know what to say. How could she possibly be a member of such elite-sounding guardians? She was just an ordinary high-school girl, who had gotten kidnapped by some strange people and was talking to an even stranger creature. She looked at him, eye to eye, but before a word could leave her mouth she heard the shadows begin to howl. Niall looked up sharply, his face stern.

"Something's wrong," he said. He looked to the stairs of the dungeon. Footsteps were echoing above. He heard a shout, and the hisses of the shadows as they were injured by whoever was up there. Lisa could only follow his gaze in slight fear.

The footsteps grew louder until they reached the dungeon's door. It slammed open, and the footsteps echoed through the stone prison. Finally, a figure leapt the last few stairs and planted their feet on the floor near the two cells. Niall's jaw dropped to the ground as he locked eyes with her.

"T-Tiara?"

The woman stared at him with wide blue eyes.

_**~Z~**_

**OMG! New revelations! What will happen next? I can assure you, the next chapter will have both action and some TrueNoble fluff! :D Stay tuned!**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I personally think there needs to be more romance fics of Care Bears. There are so many great pairings to choose from! And no, I don't mean the M-rated ones. **

Not that those are altogether bad if you write it correctly…like, make it a really dramatic story or something...

**I should probably shut up now.**

**~Smiley :)**


	6. Episode 06: Battle at Lake Erie

**Hello again! There were amazing revelations in the last episode, where Lisa was captured and imprisoned with Niall, who is actually Noble Heart Horse of the Care Bear Cousins. What will happen now that Tiara and Niall are united again? Will Lisa recognize her true past? Will our heroes be able to escape the clutches of the evil wizard No Heart? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 06: Battle at Lake Erie!**

_**~Z~**_

"Look!" Terrence pointed to the heart as its colors faded again. "We're getting closer."

"I hope it's not too far away," Tiara said. "We'll have to get home before anyone misses us." She looked at the teen boy and frowned. She knew how worried he felt. Even though he wasn't near fully grown, she could understand from how he'd reacted at first that he really loved this girl…this Lisa.

The cloud car had proven to be extremely helpful – and speedy. The duo had covered a lot of ground in a short amount of time; only about an hour and a half had passed since they'd set out. However, even as they quickly neared their destination, night had fallen over the east coast of America. Terrence carefully leaned over the side of the car and looked down. Through the darkness, he could just barely see the shimmering of water up ahead.

"Wow, are we near a lake? Wait… that must be Lake Erie. We got here so fast!"

"Um…Terrence?" Tiara's eyes were glued to something in front of them. The boy looked up. He shank back into his seat with a nervous gulp.

A huge, dark mass hovered several yards above the lake. Upon getting closer, Tiara and Terrence could see that it was actually a giant castle. Dark clouds swirled around its base; they seemed to be its foundation. Gothic spires rose into the night, blocking the light of the stars. No light seemed to shine through the windows carved in the stone.

"It's No Heart's castle," Tiara said softly. Both she and Terrence looked up at the heart, but the little beacon simply flickered before disappearing completely. "So he did kidnap her…"

"How do we get in?" Terrence peered up at the looming structure. "Shadows are probably crawling everywhere."

"Maybe we could sneak in through one of those windows." Tiara pointed to a window higher up on the castle. Terrence nodded, so the young woman flew the car up to said opening. Carefully, Terrence gripped the cold stone ledge of the window and peeked through. He could see no sign of shadows, so he cautiously pushed himself upward. He managed to get his upper half into the room, and then slowly pulled himself through. Turning around, he caught Tiara's hand as she climbed after him. Outside, the cloud car dissipated.

"Well, we'll just have to make another one to get out of here," Tiara said. Dusting herself off, she looked around the room they were in. "It looks like an old chamber. No Heart will have probably put Lisa into a dungeon somewhere."

"So, maybe we should check the basement," Terrence tiptoed toward the door. He slowly pushed it open, wincing as the old hinges creaked loudly. Looking out into the hall and seeing no danger, he stepped out into the darkness. Tiara followed him closely. "It looks like the coast is clear. Which way do we go?"

"How about with us?"

Both caring guardians whipped around at the high-pitched voice. Shrieky stood there, an annoyed look on her face, and her magic mirror in her hand. Beastly stood behind her, once again in the form of a little brown furball. He cowered as Shrieky kicked him to the side.

"You were supposed to be on patrol, furball!" she scowled at the creature. Beastly laughed nervously.

"Well, we've got 'em now, so I still did my job…"

"Shut up!" Shrieky yelled. Then she turned back to Tiara and Terrence. "Where are you two going?" Both of the Care Bears stopped in their tracks; they had been walking quickly down the hall, trying to take advantage of the villains' arguing. Shrieky held her magic mirror up, smirking at the nervous looks on their faces.

"Magic Mirror within my hand  
Summon the shadows by my command!"

"RUN!" Terrence shouted as eerie howls filled the castle. "Find the dungeon! I'll hold them off."

Tiara shot a worried glance at Terrence, but as he began to engage the writhing dark masses, she gritted her teeth and rushed down the corridor. She felt the small breezes as the shadows swiped at her, nearly catching her arms. She ran nearly as fast as that first night, though this time her fear was not what drove her. She was determined, and though she didn't approve of Terrence fighting the evil things by himself, she knew that it would be better if she freed Lisa. After all, she had been thinking about this girl for a while. From what Terrence had told her during their drive here, Lisa had many familiar qualities of one certain Care Bear she knew. If she was right – and she was fairly certain that she was – Lisa could very well be awakened tonight. She could help them defeat the shadows and escape.

Then a sudden thought sent a jolt of realization through her.

Tiara nearly stopped running. Her eyes went wide, and her heart pounded even faster. How had she not realized it before? It was so obvious now…

"Ah!" a cold, sharp pain knocked her to the side. Grunting in pain, she looked up into the red eyes of the shadows. Scowling, she grabbed her pen. It was warm in her hand, and her tummy symbol glowed.

"Take this, you shadows!"She pointed the top of the pen at them. The tummy symbol spun around, glowing even brighter. A beam of light shot from it, piercing one of the shadows head on. It screeched in pain, and its comrades hissed and retreated. The unlucky shadow disintegrated into coils of dark smoke.

Standing up, Tiara clutched her side. There was no blood, thankfully, but there would certainly be a bruise later. Clutching the pen in her other hand, Tiara ignored the pain and continued running through the castle. She carefully navigated the dark halls, avoiding anything that moved. Finally, she came to an old wooden door. She pushed it open with all her might, and coughed as the musky smell of an underground chamber rose up the old stone stairs. Gathering her nerves, she rushed down them, going as quickly as she could without any light. She jumped the last few steps, landing nimbly on the stone floor. She froze as she took in the sight before her. She could see the girl to her right, of course, but her eyes were glued to the creature in the left cell, who stared back with just as much shock.

"T-Tiara?"

Her eyes brimmed with tears at the familiar voice. She gingerly walked toward him. He pressed as close as he could to the bars, gripping her hand as she slipped it through.

"Niall…you're safe," Tiara fought her emotions down. Bursting into tears wouldn't help anything. Taking a shaky breath, she stepped back and looked to the other person with them. "And…you must be Lisa."

"Y-Yes," Lisa stuttered. "And you're Tiara Hart?"

"Yes," the woman said with a small smile. "Now, let's get both of you out of here."

Suddenly, a large BOOM sounded from above their heads.

"W-w-what was that!?" Lisa screamed. Tiara's face regained its worry.

"Terrence is fighting upstairs…oops," she realized what she'd just said.

"What? Terrence?" Lisa perked up again. Niall looked at his wife in surprise.

"Terrence? Mrs. Lawson's son?"

"Yes, he's actually Tenderheart," Tiara said. "But explanations can wait. We have to get out so we can-

Another deafening BOOM sounded, though this time it was followed by the sound of cracking stone and dust raining down from the ceiling. Tiara ducked away just before a large chunk of stone fell where she had been standing. Dust flew up in a humungous plume, obscuring the vision of everyone present. When it finally cleared and they all stopped coughing, they were met with a large pile of rubble and a gaping hole where the ceiling had been.

"Ack! I told you this would happen if we kept shooting the floor!" Beastly's head popped out of the rubble. Shrieky's head came out next to his. She scowled at him before hitting his head with the back of her mirror.

"Shut up, you idiot! I should zap you into next week!"

"Ugh…" Terrence had fallen just short of the rubble, and was lying spread-eagled on the hard stone floor.

"Terrence!?" Lisa rushed to the cell's bars. "Oh my gosh…Terrence! Terrence, get up! Are you okay?"

"L-Lisa?" he lifted his head shakily. Upon seeing her worried face, he stumbled to his feet. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Terrence, you're bleeding!" Lisa felt tears spring into her eyes as she took in the various cuts and scrapes on her dear friend. "You need to get-

"Whoah!" Terrence jumped back as a beam of lightning shot toward him. It hit the ground harmlessly. Shrieky growled in frustration.

"Beastly, GET HIIIM!"

"Y-yes, Shrieky!" the little monster said. He began to change form again, and within seconds he was a humanoid. Grinning evilly, he charged at the group of heroes with amazing speed. Tiara just barely dodged him, and instead he rammed headfirst into Niall's cell. The bars bended, but only a little bit. "Ow…" Shaking his head, Beastly jumped again at the guardians of caring. Terrence and Tiara dodged him by millimeters each time, though their strength was wearing thin while Beastly's seemed to increase.

Niall was pounding at the bars of his cell, trying to break them in any way possible. A fierce fire seemed to glow in his deep navy eyes. He eyed Shrieky and Beastly angrily as they zapped and charged his friends…his family. He gritted his teeth, and struck the bars harder with every blow.

"Get…away…from…them!" his words were accentuated by every strike against the bars. He finally stopped and took a couple steps back.

"As Noble Heart Horse of the Care Bear Family, I refuse to let others be harmed on my account!" he shouted. "You won't get away with this!"

Unbeknownst to him, light was beginning to shine from his body, growing brighter and brighter until it became blinding. Even Tiara, Terrence, Beastly and Shrieky stopped fighting to look at what was happening. When the light finally diminished, the half-human, half-horse creature was no longer there. Instead was a handsome young man with shoulder-length indigo hair streaked with green. He wore a dark blue waistcoat over a white long-sleeve shirt that was adorned with a star inside a multicolored heart. He also had navy blue pants and black dress shoes. A purple ballpoint pen had been dropped into the mauve glove now covering his hand. Wielding it, he sent a blast of light at the bars. The hard iron exploded and flew in each direction, though miraculously not hitting anyone. With a loud cry, he joined the fray. Shrieky threw lightning everywhere, and Beastly continued to charge, slash, and even try to bite the guardians of caring, who sent Stares right back at them both. Lisa could do nothing but watch in horror from her cell, gripping the bars so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She wanted to help them all so much…but what could she do?

"ENOUGH!"

The booming voice sent tremors through every object in the room. Beastly and Shrieky stopped their assault, and even the three guardians went still. The sudden silence lasted only a second as thunder began to ring through the castle's stone walls. Upon looking up, everyone could see the source of the voice as he descended through the hole in the ceiling. No Heart landed silently on the stone floor, his dark red eyes glowing with malice.

"Ah, just as I suspected," he said, eyeing the Care Bear family. "The first of you are here. You walked right into my trap."

"Let Lisa go, No Heart!" Terrence shouted. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"Oh, doesn't she?" Terrence could visualize the smirk on the wizard's face. "I believe you know as well as I do that she is one of your kind, Tenderheart Bear."

"…" Terrence balled his fists, but said nothing. He had been hoping to convince No Heart that Lisa really was just a normal girl, but even he had figured out the truth. His talk with Tiara had made him realize just how familiar Lisa seemed to be when he actually described her. Of course, they had known each other for ages, but this familiarity seemed to extend beyond their toddler years. He glanced at her, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. His eyes quickly went back to No Heart, but hers stayed trained on him.

So it was true. It must be, if Terrence thought so. Lisa's mind was reeling with millions of busy thoughts. If she truly was Love-a-Lot, why hadn't she changed like Niall had? More importantly, how could she help these people, these friends, defeat these other horrible creatures? She had known Tiara for only minutes, Niall for no longer than a couple hours, and yet she felt connected to them. She knew they were in trouble. They needed help, _her_ help. But what could she do? Her mind went back to Terrence. He was already hurt. The thought that made it worse was that he was fighting for _her_. He'd come all this way to save _her_. He had even disregarded his own health for _her_ sake. A tear slipped down her face. Wasn't there anything she could do?

"I see you have worn yourselves out already," No Heart continued. "You've only made it easier for me to destroy you, and once I'm done with you, I'll get the others. Then finally no-one will be there to stop me from ridding this world of all the wretched love and caring you protect."

"No you won't, No Heart!" Noble Heart said. "We won't fall to you."

"Bah!" the wizard shot a beam of red at the man, who jumped away and shot a Stare back at him. No Heart moved his hand, creating a shield that deflected the beam away. "You've grown even more obnoxious. You will be defeated today, I assure you. And look at your wife!" Tiara glared at him, but she was also gripping her injured side. Her outfit was also messy, and her hair seemed duller. "See how weak she is. She's in this state because of the worthless love you share. You idiotic Care Bears fail to see the truth: this insufferable feeling will only be your downfall!"

"You liar!"

Every head turned to Lisa. Her head was bowed, but her hands shook as she gripped the bars. Terrence's heart dropped at the sight of tears falling from her chin.

"Love is never your downfall," she said. "It's something much stronger. It's powerful, more powerful than anything!" her head shot up. There was a fierce glare in her eyes. "It overcomes anything! And it'll overcome you, No Heart!"

Lisa's body radiated with warmth and light. No Heart's eyes glittered with rage.

"I've heard enough out of you! Know your place, brat!" the wizard moved his hand. Before anyone could do anything, a beam of red lightning burst toward the cell.

"NO!" Terrence screamed in horror as the bars of the cage flew out. Tears of rage blurred his vision. He blindly shot a caring beam at the evil wizard who blocked it with another shield. He was joined by Noble Heart. Shrieky and Beastly finally moved to help their boss, and began to attack once more. Tiara could barely fight back in her state, so she merely dodged every attack thrown at her. Looking back to the ruined cell, her eyes widened.

"Look!"

A figure jumped through the cloud of smoke and dust. Lisa was unharmed, but she had transformed. Her hair was kept from her face by a heart hair clip, and instead of her normal clothes, she was now clad in a pink and white puff-sleeve shirt with two overlapping hearts on the front, a magenta schoolgirl miniskirt, knee-high white socks, rose-colored schoolgirl platform shoes, and pink gloves that came to her forearms. She held a pink pen with the same two hearts in one hand. Lisa landed next to Terrence, a determined look in her eye.

"We won't lose to you, No Heart!" she said.

"I am the protector of love for all people,  
guardian of one of the greatest aspects of caring!  
With the power of everlasting love,  
I am Love-a-Lot Bear!"

"It's time to end this!" Niall said. He and True Heart joined the two teens. No Heart glared at them with such ferocity that Shrieky and Beastly shrank back.

"Care Bears Countdown!" Niall shouted. "Five, four, three…"

No Heart's eyes flashed as the guardians of caring began to glow brightly. He prepared a beam of red energy in his hands.

"Two, one…STARE!"

"NO!" No Heart met their beam of light with his dark energy. The conflicting lights struggled against each other, though the caring beam was slowly overpowering him. "NOO!"

A deafening explosion threw both parties back. No Heart bowled into his two charges, and the Care Bears fell into a heap. They slowly got up, trembling as the castle shuddered and quaked.

"What's going on!?" Lisa said as she struggled to stay on her feet.

"The castle's foundation is weakening with the lack of No Heart's power," Tiara said. "We have to get out of here!"

"This way!" Terrence said. "Hurry!"

The guardians of caring rushed up the crumbling stairs. In the hallways they dodged bits of rock and stone as the ceilings crumbled. The winding corridors seemed to last forever, until they finally came to an open window. Terrence clicked his pen frantically until a cloud car was produced. They piled in, and this time Niall sped them away into the night.

"Oh, man," Terrence sighed, leaning back into his seat. "That was close."

"Terrence, you're still hurt," Lisa fussed. She gently placed a hand on his cheek. "What happened up there?"

"Well, I managed to drive the shadows away," he said. Then I had to dodge Shrieky's magic mirror and Beastly's claws. He's gotten a lot stronger," Terrence grimaced at the memory of the monster's fast movements. "Anyway, Shrieky kept trying to zap me, and I just kept jumping around. I didn't notice I had jumped in a circle. The floor was weakened by the lightning, and our weight made it fall in."

"…Why didn't you tell me?" Lisa frowned and looked down at her lap. "Is this why you were so quiet today?"

"Yeah…I didn't want to worry you." Terrence frowned at the sight of tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Lisa. Please don't cry."

"It's not that," she sniffled. "I'm just glad you're okay…" she leaned her head on his shoulder. A blush spread across Terrence's face. His heart fluttered with happiness and relief, and he looked out at the stars.

In the front passenger seat, Tiara was silent. Her eyes kept flitting from Niall to the starry sky around them. Niall glanced at her every few seconds, but did nothing to break the awkward-but-understanding silence. The rest of the flight was uneventful, and soon Terrence and Lisa were in front of the Clarke home. After waving goodbye to both adults, the two teens stood quietly in front of the house.

"It looks like the police were here," Lisa said. "I hope my mom and dad didn't worry too much. Oh, gosh, my _dad_…" the girl put a hand over her face. "He's going to go crazy. Oh, Terrence, do you know how we can change back?"

"Just click the pen." Terrence demonstrated, and with a flash he was back to wearing a solid color shirt and jeans. Lisa clicked hers and was once again wearing her white shirt, light pink skirt and school shoes. She smiled shyly at Terrence, who coughed and looked up at the moon.

"I should probably go," he said. "My dad should be home by now…"

"Terrence?"

"Yeah-!" he was suddenly wrapped in a hug. Lisa hugged him tightly for a moment before releasing him and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Thank you."

Terrence's mouth opened, but no sound came out. Lisa giggled at what was surely his bright red face. She turned and rushed up the driveway. Terrence gulped before turning around and quickly striding down the streets to his part of the neighborhood. When he reached his house, his euphoria deflated at the sight of an empty driveway. He unlocked the door and rushed to the answering machine. Once again, it was flashing red. He listened to the message; his father was once again staying late, but promised to be home at around 10:00. Terrence looked at the digital clock. It was almost 11. With a sigh, he trudged to his room and flopped onto the bed.

_**~Z~**_

"Home sweet home," Niall said as he and Tiara finally reached their house. He parked the cloud car on the front lawn, and the thing promptly disappeared once they had both gotten out. He barely managed to take a step toward the door before Tiara threw her arms around him.

"I m-missed you so much!" she sobbed. Niall hugged her back, pressing her close as her tears soaked into his shoulder. "I was s-so worried…"

"I missed you, too," he said softly. "I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'm sorry, Tia, I'm so sorry…" he kissed her forehead. She hugged him tighter, as if she were afraid to let him go again.

The couple made their way into the house. Neither really wanted to speak of what had happened just an hour ago, and no words could really describe the relief they felt to be together again. As they changed back to their human forms and climbed into bed, Tiara gazed deep into his eyes, and he into hers, exchanging the words they couldn't quite say. Finally, Niall spoke in a gentle whisper.

"I promise, Tiara," he started. "I won't leave you again…I don't think I could stand it."

"I was scared without you there," she admitted. "But…it was more for you than for me." A small yawn escaped her lips. "I really missed you, Niall…"

His lips met hers gently. She smiled and snuggled into him as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I missed you, too, Tia…" she smiled wider at the use of her nickname. "I missed you, too…"

_**~Z~**_

**Hooray for fluff! :D**

**Sorry it's later than usual. Much studying was done this week, and allergies plus a cold equals me feeling like BLEH, but I said Monday and by gum I shall mean Monday! *determined pose***

**Huzzah for fluffy shipping! Did I do good? I don't do this usually…**

**No fun two cents this time, sorry. See you next week!**


	7. Episode 07: Human Woes and Vengeance

**Hello everyone! I've started using Google Drive to write each chapter (not that this changes anything). Maybe it'll allow me to post chapters a little earlier, though. Anyway, this chapter doesn't really have any action, just a lot of foreshadowing and side-plot developing. I'm trying to slow the roll with the villains so that the plot kind of matches real world time. I hope it works...**

**Okay. *puts on announcer voice* Last time on Care Bears Z, Terrence and Tiara managed to infiltrate No Heart's castle and rescue not only Lisa, but Tiara's husband Niall as well. A daring battle ensued, resulting in the full awakenings of Noble Heart Horse and Love-a-Lot Bear. Now, the four guardians of caring must not only figure out a way to find and reunite the rest of the Care Bears and Cousins, they must be on their guard as suspicions arise among friends and family. Think that's not enough stress? What happens when real-world problems work their way into their lives? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 07: Human Woes and Vengeance!**  
**~Z~**

A home in the sky really is beautiful. You never need to worry about ground-worthy things such as noisy cars and noisier people. If you live higher than the clouds, you'll never have to worry about weather. If you live even farther away, you can watch the world in all its big blue glory, patiently sitting and staring as it slowly turned itself around the sun. You could also sit in the comfortable silence of the stars, the beautiful beacons of the night. Then you could watch as the moon greeted its sister Earth as it danced around it. A life like this never has a care in the world.  
Too bad it wasn't this way.  
Being the Great Wishing Star, he had the ability to do all these things. He had the choice to just sit back and watch time as it played out on its own. He had the choice to not speak, the choice to simply hear and to oblige. He didn't have to do anything for these dear people.  
However, he wanted to.  
They were his charges, his children to an extent. He had given them these powers, and watched over them as they used them. He had foreseen what would happen; the events occurring now and the events that would come to pass. Some of it was foggy, yes; he was getting older and older by the decade. However, he could see clearly that this journey would not be easy. He pitied them, as the trials that awaited them were large and plentiful. He could do nothing, it seemed. He supposed it was better; it would do no good to throw a wrench into the timeline if it wasn't necessary. After all, the Care Bear Family had overcome many trials. Surely they could overcome these...  
Then again, their experiences with adolescent life were often second-hand.  
A soft squeak called his attention from the slowly turning Earth. He gave a small smile to the little, wide-eyed entity that floated next to him.  
"Yes, little Heart Buddy. You may go to him now," he said. "You will do well, I know it."  
The little heart moved its body in what was most likely a nod. Then it turned and flew down toward Earth's surface. The Great Wishing Star watched it disappear, and then sighed softly.  
"I have faith in them, and what I have seen," he said to himself. "Though I wish to reveal all, I mustn't disturb it this time..."  
The old star sighed again. Then he turned his attention back to Earth, for the Eastern Hemisphere had made itself fully visible. His mind never quite left the Care Bears as he felt the wishes of countless people flow toward him.

~Z~

"Terrence..."  
"Terrence."  
"TERRENCE!"  
The brunet boy jerked out of his thoughts for the third time that since he'd woken up that morning he couldn't keep his attention on anything but his family, both human and Care Bear alike. He blinked,finally coming back to reality when he saw the face of Benjamin, whose eyebrow was quirked in curious concern.  
"What's up with you, man? That's the second time you've spaced out on me," Ben grabbed a fry from his lunch tray and popped it into his mouth. "Something up?"  
"Nah...I'm fine. Just thinking..." Terrence looked around the cafeteria, searching for any sign of Lisa. She was nowhere to be found, however, and his shoulders sagged. Ben managed to notice his sudden droop, and smirked.  
"Oh, I see." Terrence blinked at him.  
"See what?"  
"You're missing your girlfriend!"  
Terrence fought back the heat in his cheeks. He frowned at his friend.  
"Lisa's not my girlfriend."  
"Aha!" Ben pointed at him in triumph. "I never said a name."  
Terrence opened his mouth, but an argument refused to form. Ben laughed, placing an elbow on the table and slapping his forehead into his palm.  
"You are hopeless, man. You know how special you are right now? Like, do you know how many people want to be you? Here you are, one of the most known names in the school - for all good reasons, too - and you can't even get the cutest girl here!"  
At that moment, a hand tapped on Ben's right shoulder. Turning around, he missed the hand as it grabbed a fistful of fries off his tray. He did, however, turn around in time to see Terrence snicker at his loss.  
"What the..." he turned around again to see the thief sitting on his right, somehow, and laughing almost hysterically. "Preston!"  
"Y-you fall for that every time!" Preston laughed. He doubled over; his messy, sandy-tan bangs fell forward slightly. "How do you fall for that every single time?"  
"He's right, you know," Terrence laughed. Ben frowned at him.  
"I thought we were friends! Why didn't you say anything?" Ben huffed and turned around.  
"I-  
"And don't say you didn't see him!" Terrence held back another chuckle as Ben turned back to him and fixed him with a serious glare. "I know you saw him."  
The boy couldn't hold back. He burst into laughter, causing Preston to do the same. The latter boy nearly knocked over Ben's tray, which would have sent milk and pizza onto all of them. The bell finally rang, and Terrence bid goodbye to his friends. Preston smoothed his warm-color block shirt and khaki cargo pants, then folded his arms with a sigh of satisfaction.  
"What are you so happy about?" Ben asked him. Preston smirked.  
"A job well done, my brother. A job well done."  
At Benjamin's blank stare, he merely laughed again.  
"A job of what? Stealin' my food?" the confused boy asked.  
"Heh, partly," Preston replied. "But I did get him outta that mood."  
Ben tilted his head, and the words clicked.  
"Oh, I get it!"  
Preston gave a good-natured snort. Then he spun around Ben and headed for the door.  
"Gotta bounce. You know how Mr. Fields gets."  
"Get to class, hippies!" Ben laughed and did an impression of the snarky history teacher. The boy grabbed his bag and headed off to the science hall.

~Z~

"Whew..." Niall closed the office door behind him. "I guess that could've gone better..."  
"What could've gone better?"  
The bluenette man groaned inwardly. Despite being the caring creature he was, even he had his limits. Forcing a smile, he looked up at the owner of the voice.  
"What do you mean, Jossburg?"  
"You got in trouble with the manager, aren't you?" the nosy office worker asked. "It's not surprising; you did run off for two days with no warning..."  
"I didn't run off, Mr. Jossburg," Niall said patiently. "There were urgent family matters I had to attend to."  
"Is that so?" the pasty man narrowed his eyes at Niall. The latter worker kept as straight a face as he could muster.  
"Yes, it is so. Now, if you'll excuse me," Niall edged by the skinny, gangly Mr. Jossburg. "I need to get back to work."  
"I'll have you know that I had to cover your work for yesterday," Jossburg sneered, stepping into his way again. "Every bit of it."  
"And I am truly sorry," Niall said. "Now, I'm going back to my office to make sure that doesn't happen again. Goodbye, Mr. Jossburg." he pushed past again.  
"I'll see you 'round the water cooler, Mr. Hart!" the other man called sarcastically. Niall rolled his eyes before returning to his workplace and plopping down in the office chair.  
"Man...I wish I could call Ti right now...but it'd be bad to interrupt her at work..." he glanced at the one framed picture on his desk, that of him and Tiara on their wedding day. A smile played on his lips; she just as breathtaking then as she was now. Sighing, he turned on his computer monitor; it was best not to let the work pile up more.  
A little sound pulled his attention away from the computer. He sat completely still for a moment, but heard nothing except for the busy medley of ringing phones, official-sounding voices, and harried typing. He shook his head, passing the sound off as his imagination. Not a minute later it happened again. This time, Niall wheeled his chair back and scanned the room. He saw nothing out of the ordinary, but the sound of yet another squeak drew his attention to the ceiling. He blinked twice before recognition dawned on his face. He smiled and held out his hand.  
"Oh...hey there, little guy," he said, allowing the little heart creature to perch on his hand. "Heart Buddy...so you're here, too..."  
The little red heart squealed affectionately and nuzzled itself into his palm. Niall couldn't help but grin at the little creature. He gently laid the heart on the desk inside the unused box of tissues he kept there. For a while he could do no work; merely watch the little Heart Buddy as it played around his little corner office.

~Z~

"So, we decided that the service hour op for this month is the homeless shelter supply drive, right?"  
"Yep." Terrence nodded. Brandon Rogers nodded back and scribbled something in his ever-present notebook.  
"Have you talked with the planning committee about the end-of-year dance?"  
"Yeah. Byron said he's recruiting people now."  
"Great." Brandon pulled out his calculator and pushed several buttons. "According to my calculations, the treasury has more than enough money to hire a DJ this year."  
"Great." Terrence slid his binder into his bag. "That's all for today then?"  
"Uh huh." Brandon tossed his royal purple hair slightly as he packed up his things. "Sorry to make you stay here so late; I just wanted to double-check everything."  
"It's no problem," Terrence said. "It's great that you're diligent. It's really a wonder you aren't president."  
"Oh..." Brandon shrugged shyly. "I'm happy being the treasurer. Math is more my specialty than being the boss."  
"Whatever you say..." Terrence stood up and stretched. "I better get home. See you tomorrow."  
"Bye."  
Terrence stopped at the side door and watched Brandon as he slipped out the other door, which lead to the baseball field. He couldn't help but sift through the memories that had inhabited his mind. He began to blink furiously; each time this happened he became emotional. The more he looked around him, it seemed, the more he was reminded of the Care Bear family he knew and loved. Brandon reminded him strongly of another member of his family, even more so when they hung out on weekends and the shy demeanor he had in school dropped away. The boy was a genius; a 5.0 GPA thanks to his AP classes and a near-wizard in math. When he wasn't with Terrence, he hung out with Christopher Trent and Charity Short - which would seem odd to some people, as these two were more of a popular, sporty pair. As a matter of fact, this was most likely who he was going to see; the baseball team and the cheerleading team were out practicing now.  
Sighing, Terrence pushed open the door and headed to the street. He would stop by Ms. Bennett's to pick up Wendy, and hopefully arrive home to his dad waiting in the living room. A frown graced his face. Even more puzzling than the conflicting memories of his past was the current situation he was in. Yes, he was Terrence Lawson, and yes, he was Tenderheart Bear, but what about his family? Who were they? A simple, but morbid thought crossed his mind. What would be happening if he hadn't been given a human life? Would he even exist?  
"Terrence!"  
Said teen boy's heart skipped a beat as he turned around. Lisa was waving to him as she rushed down the sidewalk.  
"I'm sorry I wasn't at lunch today," she said. "I was practicing for the showcase."  
"It's okay," Terrence said. "I know it'll be great once you perform."  
"Have you got a ticket yet?" she batted her eyes expectantly. Terrence felt heat sear his face.  
"Uh-huh...so do Wendy and hopefully dad..." he turned his eyes back to the street ahead of me. "And speak of a little angel..."  
"Terrence!" Wendy rushed out of the Memories Antique Shop. She gripped her brother in a loving hug, before turning her attention to Lisa. "Hi, Lisa!"  
"Hey there!" the girl replied with a smile and a wave.  
"Ready to go?" Terrence asked. Wendy replied with a happy nod. Terrence looked up and smiled at Ms. Bennett and the twins, who had appeared at the door. "Thanks, Ms. Bennett."  
"It's no trouble, sweetie," she replied. "Wendy's a joy to have around."  
"Bye, Ms. Bennett! Bye, Hannah and Trent!"  
"See ya tomorrow, Wendy!" "Bye!" came the replies of her friends.  
The three kids walked on with a one-sided conversation as Wendy chattered on about her day. They reached Lisa's house first, and after bidding her goodbye they continued to their street. Terrence's heart leapt and Wendy gave a cry of joy at the sight of their father's steel grey Lexus in the driveway. They rushed to the door; Terrence threw it open and Wendy bolted in ahead of him.  
"Daddy!" she jumped up into the man's arms. Mr. Lawson greeted her with a strong hug. He beckoned Terrence over upon releasing her, and pulled both his children close.  
"I'm so glad you're back, dad!" Wendy said happily. "I have to tell you what happened today. So, at recess, Kevin dared Trent to swing as high as he could on the swing..."  
Mr. Lawson let go of Trent as Wendy slowly pulled him away. He looked to his son, and though he said nothing, he fixed Terrence with a look that clearly said "we'll catch up later." Nevertheless, Terrence's smile fell a bit, and he trudged to his room and shut the door. Once inside, he took his pen out of his pocket. He stared intently at the mini tummy symbol on the top. Then he looked out the window at the late afternoon sun. He rested his arms on the windowsill, silently waiting for the night and the stars it would bring.

~Z~

"I'm home!" Lisa called as she closed the door behind her.  
"Oh, thank goodness!" Mrs. Clarke rushed to her daughter, wrapping her in a crushing hug.  
"Ow!...Mom, I'm okay. I was just at drama practice!" the girl struggled to break free from her mother's grip. "You know, the thing I do every other day?"  
"Oh, I know, sweetie," the woman finally released her. "It's just...I was worried..."  
Lisa sighed. Despite her best efforts to play off the events of the previous day, her ever-doting parents all but refused to let her out of their sight. At the moment, the thing Lisa was most thankful for was the fact that her father would not be home from work for an hour or two. He had nearly gone ballistic when she'd turned up in the middle of the night. The intense questioning had not been easy to muddle through. She had been forced to come up with a plausible story.  
"Mom, I told you, I'll be fine. That was a one-time thing, I promise. Carenburg never gets events like these; it was a freak crime. And I told you before, someone helped me out."  
"You also told me you can't tell me who helped you out," the woman retorted. "There's no telling when that person will be there for you if this happens again."  
"Mom..."  
"And on top of that..." she paused and sighed. "The police station wants to interrogate you for details."  
Lisa bit her lip, but tried her hardest to change her look of worry into one of annoyance. Sliding this with the police would be much tougher than convincing her parents of the story. Within her mind, she panicked - and then a thought struck her.  
"Mom, is Mr. Danek going to be on the interrogation team?"  
"Yes, why?" her mother folded her arms. Lisa shrugged, her face indifferent.  
"No reason...just wondering."  
She gently edged past her mother and rushed up the stairs before she could be questioned further.

~Z~

The city of Carenburg began to quiet down as evening bloomed over its region. Shops began to close and kids made their way home from any after school activities they had. Parents called their young ones to dinner, while others settled themselves in front of the TV or into bed. Peace began to descend gracefully over the little community.  
At Lake Erie, there was quite a different atmosphere.  
The space above the lake swirled with clouds so dark and ominous they were even visible to the human eye, if you were to look hard enough. Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed at random. Howling winds churned the water beneath the clouds, creating an isolated spot of angry, choppy waves. Within the castle, the old stone walls nearly shook with the strength of the energy flowing from their master.  
"CURSE THOSE WRETCHED BEARS!" No Heart swiped his hand at a shelf, sending vials of goodness-knows-what flying across the room and adding to the growing mess of potions and books overturned by his ire. His rage was reaching every part of the castle, including the previously damaged dungeon and corridors, which had been quickly repaired by the outpouring of No Heart's hatred for the guardians of caring. Beastly and Shrieky were nowhere to be found, and even the shadows were staying well away from the seething wizard.  
"One day, one day, they shall fall! They will be slain, by my hand!" No Heart balled his left hand into a fist so tight that white shone through the sickly green color of his skin. "Those accursed creatures..." he shuddered. "I will not let them escape again!"  
The evil wizard took a deep breath. Even though he was composed, his crimson eyes still glowed with a burning, prickling malice. He gripped the edges of his cauldron and peered into it.  
"But how? There must be a way to discreetly bring them down. Now I must find that way...Ah," he leaned in closer to the magic liquid within the pot. "What have we here?"  
The image of a man was forming in the frothing liquid. He was small, gangly and lean, a bit of a shrimp by normal standards. He had a mousy face, which was scrunched up in an unpleasant scowl.  
"Darn that Hart," the man said to himself. "Thinks he can just disappear like that...and that manager, hardly doing a darn thing about it... 'family emergency', my foot..."  
"Hmm..." No Heart's eyes glinted with a ghost of amusement. "Perhaps...yes, this might do nicely..."

**~Z~**

** Whew. Hello, everyone! Did ya like this chapter? Google Drive isn't what I'm used to, though maybe it'll make it easier, as I won't have to run downstairs to type...anyway, thank you for reading! And if you catch any mistakes, please tell me. Thanks again!**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: There needs to be more Care Bear fanart, like, pronto. I'm not good at drawing anthros, but sooner or later I will draw the Care Bears Z characters and post them on Deviantart, so keep your eyes open!**  
**~Smiley :)**


	8. Episode 08: Deception Villainous

**Hello again! Here we are at the next episode…**

**Last time on Care Bears Z, our heroes entered the many conflicts surrounding both their human and guardian lives. With No Heart plotting in the shadows, will the Care Bear Family ever regain its members without causing suspicion? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 08: Deception and Villainous Uprising!**

_**~Z~**_

"Hey, Terrence, you sure you're alright, dude?" Benjamin asked. "You're spacing out again."

It was the last period of the day, the one class Terrence had with remarkably all his friends. Benjamin, Preston, Brandon, Chris, Lisa, as well as several others sat around the English classroom, waiting for the bell to ring.

"Hm? Oh, sorry," Terrence yawned. "I was just thinking about this weekend. Dad, Wendy, and I are planning on visiting mom…"

"Well, make sure you get some rest, first," Ben stated. "Before you end up like poor Brian."

Both boys looked to the back of the classroom. Sitting at the farthest desk was Brian Facey; a boy no-one really saw much of. He was currently in his most common state: asleep. It was a marvel how the boy managed to get passing grades in every class when he was hardly ever awake. At the moment, he was snoozing happily while Preston fought back snickers as he lowered a worksheet in front of his face. The sleeping boy wrinkled his nose as Preston nudged him repeatedly. Brian finally awoke with a slight jolt. Preston laughed, but the blue-haired boy simply yawned and put his head back down.

"Poor guy…" Ben shook his head. "So naïve to the atrocities of this world…I can only hope that Preston doesn't pull another 2010 April Fool's."

Terrence's face turned serious.

"We don't talk about that."

"Sorry," Ben raised his hands in surrender.

Terrence shook his head and looked around the room. He caught the eye of Lisa, who smiled and waved his way. He waved back, but quickly lowered his hand when Lisa's friends, Charity, Precious, and Fiona, started giggling and talking in hushed voices about something. He blushed and looked back to Ben, who was shaking his head slowly.

"You, sir, are hopeless."

"Oh, come on," Terrence leaned back in his seat. "This is a new thing for me."

"Ah, the glories of young love!" Preston leaned over onto the desk. "So new! So fresh! Wait…what are we talking about?"

"…Preston," Ben blinked at the grinning teen. "You are so random."

_**~Z~**_

Lisa sat stiffly in the back of her family's Ford Fusion. She kept her eyes straight ahead, trying not to look into the mirror, where her father's eyes glanced up every few seconds. This proved very difficult, so instead she turned her head to the window and looked at the quickly passing scenery. She kept her face expressionless, though inside she was becoming a nervous wreck.

The past few days had gone by without much excitement. With the weekend now here, and Lisa's parents had decided it was the perfect time to let the police team interrogate her. She was still working out a plan in her mind; what would she do if Mr. Danek wasn't the one who questioned her? What if it was some tough detective who played the bad cop role too well? She would have to play her cards carefully enough with Mr. Danek…

"Answer all of their questions, Lisa," her father's voice derailed her train of thought. She glanced up and nodded absently. "Don't be afraid to tell them everything; the police want to help you."

"I know, Dad," she said softly. Oh, how she wished she could have talked to True Heart and Noble Heart before this. Surely Tiara, with her knowledge of the law, could give her tips on how to slide through the questioning. Being a lawyer, she probably knew all the ways to pick apart a testimony. Not that it was a bad thing…Lisa sighed and touched her hand to her pocket, where her pen was snug against her hip.

They pulled into Carenburg's only police station with hardly a sound. The parking lot was only half full, and not many people were beyond the building's glass double doors. Lisa felt a blast of cool air hit her as she pushed open the door. She looked around the room, taking in the sight of everyone present. She felt her father's hand on her shoulder. He gently guided her over to the main desk. A sharply dressed woman sat there, looking over some papers.

"Name?" she asked with barely a glance upward. Lisa hesitated before opening her mouth, allowing her father to answer for her.

"Lisa Clarke, here for, um…interrogation." his voice seemed off; emotion was hidden behind it, but Lisa couldn't quite tell what it was.

"Ah, yes," the woman sniffed. "You're in that room there, dear. Officer Danek will be with you in a minute."

Lisa's heart turned cartwheels against her ribs. Relief flooded through her, but she tried not to smile. She nodded to the secretary and to her parents, who followed her until she crossed through the door. The inside of the room was painted a deep shade of blue. Its furniture looked nothing like the stereotypical interrogation rooms one sees on TV; apparently Mr. Danek had customized his. The table was a nice off-white color, the chairs were large and cushioned, and a vase of blue forget-me-nots sat on the table next to a large novel and a desk lamp. Lisa sat down in one of the chairs, and then gave a half-smile out the window to her mother and father. They both waved tensely.

The door opened, and in strode Arthur Danek.

He was a tall, lean man, with short bluish hair and a just-so amount of stubble. He wore a rather old-fashioned black business suit that had the power to look both office worker and policeman-worthy. The familiarity of his brown eyes sent a little of Lisa's worry away. He flashed a small smile at Lisa and sat in the other chair across from her.

"Good morning, Miss Clarke," he said in his smooth voice. "A nice Saturday it is so far; how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, Mr. Danek," she said, immediately relaxing. "How are you?"

"Just fine, just fine. Now Lisa," he propped his arms up on the table with his elbows. "This won't take too long. The questions I have for you are about Tuesday night and Tuesday night only, alright?"

"Okay…" Lisa shifted in her chair, suddenly feeling the weight of the man's gaze on her. That was the thing about both Mr. Danek and his son, who was in Lisa's school and grade: they could read people. Once they got a good look at whoever was having trouble, their perceptive minds could pick apart nearly everything that person said. Lisa supposed it came with being part of the police's investigative branch, and being related to one.

"First off, what exactly were you doing before the incident?" Lisa swallowed nervously despite the easiness of the question.

"I was in my backyard, practicing my lines for our school play…_Taming of the Shrew_, by William Shakespeare." she couldn't help but add that in. Mr. Danek nodded.

"Can you tell me, in as much detail as you can, what happened from six thirty to ten thirty-five that night?"

"Well…" Lisa took a deep breath. She fixed her posture and tried to look the man in the face, appearing confident. "That night, as I was practicing, some…thing crashed into the maple tree. I don't remember what it was, exactly…" she paused.

"What did it look like?" Mr. Danek asked. Lisa bit her lip.

"It was big and yellow," she said. "I don't know what it was." The look on the officer's face made her nervous. "…then this guy just rushed at me. He had brown hair and these beady eyes…" she gripped her chair as she described Beastly as best she could. "He wore old-fashioned clothes, like an old uniform or something…and he grabbed me and started dragging me away…" Lisa sniffed, trying to decide whether or not she should play it up. She decided it was worth it. "He was really strong…I was so scared…" she forced moisture into her eyes. She could practically feel her parents' gazes as they wondered just what their daughter was saying.

"Can you go on?" Mr. Danek asked gently. Lisa sniffed and nodded.

"I don't know where we went…he pushed me into a c-car, to the floor, and I couldn't look through the windows from there…" Lisa stuttered. In her mind she was laughing. Being an actress had its perks!

"And then?" Mr. Danek's intrigue showed on his face. Lisa fought back the smile of triumph.

"We were driving for an hour at least. The next thing I know, we're at this shady looking place…and there were these other people; a girl, and this guy who kept wearing a…a mask," Lisa put a hand to her forehead. "It's all so foggy…I can't really recall much of what went on…but I know that some other people came in. There was a man, a-and a woman. They were fighting at one point. It was scary…" she sniffled again. If Mr. Danek was anything else like his son Lloyd, he would have a strong sense of chivalry and a very tuggable heartstring.

"The masked man t-tried to hit me with something, but he missed," she continued. "But it startled me so much; I passed out…" she folded her arms in the most innocent fashion she could muster. "When I woke up, I was being carried by someone…I panicked, but they just put me down and ran off. They were wearing strange clothes; they looked sort of high-end, like the stuff you see at rich parties…" Lisa sighed, her voice cracking a bit. "And then I realized I was in front of my house. I ran in and…that's what happened."

"…What do you mean when you say you panicked?" Mr. Danek sat back in his chair. Lisa gave him s slight shrug.

"I…panicked. I started flailing and struggling; I thought whoever had me was, you know, against me. But he just put me down and-

"He?"

"Y-Yes," she stammered. "The way he was carrying me, I could tell it was a guy. He wasn't that tall from what I saw, and he was kind of thin. I never saw his face."

Mr. Danek was silent for a while. Lisa's heart was beating in her throat. Was her story strong enough? It had been enough to fool her parents, but could it possibly slide by one of Carenburg's most successful detectives?

"…and you're absolutely sure you don't remember anything else?" he asked, studying her fiercely. Lisa fought down the urge to turn away. She nodded quickly.

"I told you everything I could, Mr. Danek," she said. "I really don't remember anything else. I'm sorry I can't be of much help…" she lowered her head, sticking her lip out just so.

"…I'll admit that while your story was vague, it did help a bit," he sighed. "You do seem very rattled; perhaps we should stop for now."

"I promise, Mr. Danek, if I think of anything else, I'll let you know," Lisa said. The man nodded before getting up out of his chair.

"I suppose that's it, then," he stretched. "Take care, dear."

"Goodbye," she said softly. Arthur watched as she left the room and walked into the waiting arms of her parents. The man slid his hands into his pockets.

"What are you up to, Lisa?" he asked this more to himself. "I know you're hiding something from me…"

_**~Z~**_

"Are you okay, Terrence?" Mr. Lawson asked his son. Terrence was gripping Wendy's hand a little too tightly, and the girl was trying to worm her way out.

"Don't worry, Terrence," she said happily as she pulled her hand away. "I'm sure Mom is just fine; I'll bet she's just sitting up waiting for us!"

Terrence looked down at his sister, whose innocent face filled him with apprehension. He couldn't bear the thought of her ever finding out just how sick their mother was, or even worse, what had happened just at the beginning of the week. Mrs. Lawson, along with many other patients, had been moved to another hospital not too far from the first one. Terrence's mind kept going back to that night, and he swallowed the lump in his throat when he thought about how his mother had looked. He knew it was for the best that little Wendy didn't need to know what had happened at the hospital. Their father had simply told her that Mrs. Lawson had moved due to the need of different equipment.

The elevator stopped, and its doors opened, letting him and his family out. The Lawsons walked down the halls until they reached room 3-11. Mr. Lawson went in first, wearing as big a smile as he could muster. Wendy came in next, followed by Terrence.

"Hi, mommy," Wendy leaned over the bed's rail, turning down her enthusiasm so as to not disturb anyone else on the floor, especially the nurses just a couple feet from the door. "How are you?"

"Oh, my baby," Erica Lawson hugged her daughter close. She was thin and small, and she seemed almost buried beneath her covers. "I'm feeling so good with you here."

"That's good to hear, sweetie." Mr. Lawson sat next to his wife. Terrence found a seat in the last available chair.

"Hey, mom," he said softly. Mrs. Lawson smiled at him. Despite her fragile features, her eyes shone with delight.

"Oh, Terrence," she said. "It's so good to see you. How has school been?"

"Alright," he said, forcing emotion down. "We're h-having another service learning project. We're going to have a drive for a homeless shelter…"

"How wonderful," the woman said. "You and your friends really think up great ideas." she turned to Wendy and Mr. Lawson. "Now what about you two? I want to hear details."

The next couple hours passed with much conversation about the week's events…well, most of them. Terrence didn't talk about anything Care Bear related, and no-one brought up the incident at the hospital. It wasn't until about three or four hours had passed that they had to part ways; Mrs. Lawson had to get ready for another treatment. Terrence was the last to get up and leave.

"Terrence," his mother called. "Before you go, I have something to tell you."

"What's that?" he sat back down on the bed. Mrs. Lawson grasped his hand. A sudden wave of worry and sadness rushed through Terrence, and he fought back a gasp. His mother's hand, so warm and once so smooth, now felt so fragile it might shatter with one wrong move.

"On the night of that attack," she started. Terrence's heart dropped to the floor. "I…saw something. I heard something. I suppose it could have been a dream, but…I heard your voice, Terrence."

"Y-you did?" he gasped. Mrs. Lawson nodded.

"I don't know what you were saying, but it filled me with warmth. I felt safer when I heard it. I doubt it was really anything special, but…Terrence, I'm so proud of you. Keep doing what you're doing, alright?"

"R-right." Terrence could hardly see through the tears invading his eyes. His mother pulled him into a hug.

"I love you, sweetie."

"I love you too, mom."

"Terrence, dad says it's time to go!" Wendy popped her head through the door. Terrence got up and walked to her. "Bye, mama!"

"Goodbye, sweethearts!" the woman called as a nurse came into the room.

Terrence was silent on the drive back. He refused to let the tears fall until he was in his room. He lay on his back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He stared at the tummy symbol on his pen, and then hugged it to his chest.

_**~Z~**_

"Is it time now, Uncle?" Shrieky glared into her magic mirror. "Can I go now?"

"Yes, yes you may, Shrieky," No Heart said. "Make sure you do this right."

"Don't worry, that idiot isn't coming along to botch it this time," she scowled at the ceiling, where Beastly was off doing something or another. "I won't fail, No Heart."

"You'd better not," the wizard's eyes flashed brightly for a moment. He pointed one spindly finger toward the door. "Now, go!"

Meanwhile, Arnold Jossburg was grumbling to himself as he marched up to his front door.

"Darn manager…how can he let this go so easily? Hart doesn't even have a solid excuse! Not to mention I get all his work to do…bah!" the man scowled as he dropped his keys. He stooped to pick them up. "Darn night…so dark you can't see a thing! Anywho…I'm tired of being his shadow! When am I going to get **my** promotion? When is **he** going to get demoted? What does **he** have that **I** haven't got!?""

"It seems like you have a problem," a voice said. Jossburg whipped around at the sound. He squinted in the darkness, seeing nothing but a figure leaning against a tree.

"Who's there? Who are you?" he demanded. "This is private property; get out of here!"

"Hmm, you are mean," the voice continued. Its owner stalked her way across the lawn Jossburg merely scowled. "Uncle was right about you."

"A punk kid, eh? Go home!" he took a step toward her. The girl merely smirked and raised an antique-looking mirror towards him. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Taking you away."

"Wha-!" before the man could react, a beam of light flashed from the mirror and hit him square in the chest. He gasped, stumbling backward. His body pulsed with light before flickering away. Shrieky smiled devilishly before doing the same, leaving the night in silence.

_**~Z~**_

**Well, that escalated quickly. I hope you enjoyed this one! Thanks again, and I'll see you next week!**

**~Smiley :)**


	9. Episode 09: Starless, Starless Night

**Phew…hello to everyone, and welcome back to Care Bears Z! I don't know about you guys, but my life is about to get BUSY with school. Between reports, finals and regular homework, it doesn't really feel like it's the end of the year. I guess it's the thing with high school…but in three weeks I can say goodbye to freshman year! I also tripped on the stairs and strained my ankle. ._.**

**Well, enough about my personal life. *ahem***

**Last time on Care Bears Z, tensions rose and emotions wavered as the people around our heroes, particularly young Terrence and Lisa, began to notice key events in their Care Bear adventures so far. No Heart has concocted another scheme to get rid of the Care Bear Family, somehow involving Niall's spiteful co-worker Jossburg. Could this plan possibly trigger another Care Bear to awaken? Or will it be enough to wipe away the guardians of caring altogether? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 09: Starless, Starless Night!**

_**~Z~**_

"Ah!" Jossburg let out a strangled cry as he fell roughly to the ground. He was met with cold, hard stone that scraped his arms despite his long-sleeve shirt. Upon opening his eyes he could only see darkness. He frowned as he squinted around the room. "Where am I? What is this?"

"Ah, our guest has arrived," a low, chilling voice said. Jossburg looked up. He blanched at the site of a tall man standing before him, dressed in a purple robe and cowl, his face invisible except for his glowing red eyes.

"Who are you?" Arnold stumbled to his feet. "What's going on here?"

The man merely chuckled. The sound caused goosebumps to rise on Jossburg's skin and a shiver to rattle his spine. He looked to his left and saw someone enter the room. It was the same girl that had confronted him. She was holding her mirror to her chin, and a smug smile graced her face.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said. "My name is No Heart, great wizard of the High Eclipse Council. I have brought you here to…request a favor," the last three words were said slower than the rest, as if No Heart was having difficulty saying them.

"Look, I don't know what this Eclipse gang is all about," Jossburg snapped. "And I don't know what you could possibly want from me, but you can forget it!" the businessman folded his arms defiantly. "You can be sure that the police will be hearing about this."

"Will you not even listen to my offer?" No Heart took a step toward Jossburg. "I believe you will be most crucial to our plans."

"No sir, I will not assist some punk gang in whatever you're scheming!"

Arnold suddenly felt himself being lifted. Before he could protest, he was somehow floating face-to-face with the tall Non Heart. Angry words died in his throat at the wizard's powerful glare.

"I do not believe you understand your predicament, Mr. Jossburg," No Heart said in a calm, icy tone. "You will assist me. You will do as I say…" At the man's silence, No Heart narrowed his eyes. "What if I told you that I would deal with your little work issue?"

"What are you talking about?" Jossburg gulped, causing his Adam's apple to bob. No Heart's eyes gained a triumphant gleam.

"Why, your issue with Mr. Hart, of course."

"You…know Niall Hart?" Arnold's head tilted skeptically. No Heart lowered him back to the ground. When the wizard spoke again, his tone had changed to a more pained one.

"Yes, I know him well. You see," he spread his arms. "Mr. Hart is not who everyone makes him out to be."

"Wait," Jossburg, though intrigued, traded his interest for rationality. "How did you know that Hart was my co-worker?"

"I know a lot of things about him," No Heart's eyes darkened. "I know the truth. He is not as good and kind as he seems. A dark past lies behind that man."

"But, I knew Niall in high school," Arnold said. "What past are you talking about? Niall was always the perfect student. He was and is the popular one, the one who everyone should know…"

"You know what's beyond this exterior," No Heart studied Jossburg's scowling face. "I can see it. You have suspicions, as well as…could it be jealousy?"

He'd struck a nerve. Jossburg's face scrunched up in anger. He almost snarled at the other man, this strange man who was prodding his nose where it didn't belong. How dare this man, this "No Heart", kidnap him and then try to evaluate his feelings!

"Do not be prideful. I can see the truth," No Heart pointed a slender green finger at Arnold's chest. "Your heart so green with jealousy it is turning black. If you wish, I could help you. I could tell you what you wanted to know about Niall. I could tell you the truth."

"What truth is there? What has he possibly done that's so horrendous?" Arnold folded his arms, his morbid curiosity taking over his wary mind. No Heart's eyes were gleaming with twisted amusement.

"That, I'm afraid, will have to wait."

"I knew it," Jossburg pointed an accusatory finger at the wizard. "You want me to do whatever it is your gang wants, and you're bribing me with dirt on Hart!"

"You are quite sharp, human," No Heart said. "However, this task is a rather simple one, and it will bring about satisfaction to both of us. If you do what I say, we will be able to expose Niall Hart for what he truly is. He is a fraud; he seems like an angel, but this man is a criminal!"

"A criminal?" Jossburg took a step back. "How?"

"I will tell you in time," No Heart said. "And only if you are willing to obey my commands."

"Hmm…" Jossburg stared at No Heart with interrogating eyes. Then he smiled.

"What do you want me to do?"

_**~Z~**_

"Is everything ready?" Niall asked Tiara as he headed into the living room. Tiara strode from the kitchen with a package of cookies in one hand and a pitcher of lemonade in the other. She smiled at her husband before setting the snacks down on the table.

"Everything's ready," she said. "It's great we finally all have time to talk together. We'll need to do this often if we want to make any progress."

Currently, the young couple was waiting for Terrence and Tiara to arrive. They had all decided that they needed to meet up and discuss important things that needed sorting out, and Sunday evening was the only time in the week that everyone was actually free. None of them had heard anything from the Great Wishing Star as of late, and they had many questions that needed answers.

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Niall went to answer it, and was greeted with the sight of both teens standing behind it. He ushered them in with happy greetings. They made their way to the living room, where more greetings were issued and some hugs were given. The lighthearted mood dimmed slightly when they all sat down.

"There are a lot of things we have to talk about," Tiara began. "I'm sure everyone has countless questions."

"If I could start," Lisa said. "Why have we been humans all these years? My memory is foggy. I remember a battle, with lots of evil beings. I remember No Heart and Cold Heart most clearly," she counted the villains off on her fingers.

"I remember seeing the spirit book there," Terrence said. "I think there were others, too, but I don't recall all of them…"

"I remember most of them quite clearly," Tiara said. "When I was talking to the Great Wishing Star on the first night, I remember seeing nearly all the evils we've faced. I even saw the Vizier and Doctor Fright."

"Another thing that confuses me," Terrence added. "Is why both of you," he looked at Tiara and Niall. "Turned into your original forms when your powers awakened, and we didn't."

"I have a bit of a theory," Niall said. "Perhaps…perhaps the longer we stay human, the longer our Care Bear powers have to stabilize."

"But how can that be?" Lisa asked. "There's an age difference between us. If that's the case, shouldn't Terrence and I have turned into our original forms?" Niall shook his head.

"No, what I meant was-

He was cut short when a panicked squeaking sound filled the room. Upon looking up they all saw little Heart Buddy swooping frantically through the air. The small creature came to rest at the window, and floated there while gesturing to the sky. Tiara got up and looked out the window.

"It's getting dark?" she blinked, confused. "But it's hardly 7:30…"

"Something's wrong…" Lisa joined her at the window. "It's getting dark so fast! Is there a storm coming?"

Heart Buddy was nearly pounding against the window. All four guardians of caring peered through the glass, trying to see what had gripped the Heart's attention so fiercely. Niall squinted hard at the growing inky darkness. Then he gasped.

"Where's the Great Wishing Star?"

"What? He's right…" Tiara froze as she gazed at the empty spot where the big, bright star usually resided. "Ah!? He's gone!"

"Where's Star Buddy?" Lisa noticed suddenly. There was no sign of the little creature anywhere in sight. "Oh no…"

"Something tells me a certain wizard is behind this," Niall said. "We'll have to find out what's going on and put a stop to it!"

The group filed out into the night. Niall was the first out, thus the first to notice the heaviness in the air.

"What's…this?" he gasped, clutching at his chest. "I can't breathe…"

"Ugh, what's that smell?" Tiara covered her nose. Terrence and Lisa followed suit. "It's rotten…"

"The stars are disappearing faster!" Lisa's voice was high and nasally due to her stifled breath. She pointed at the sky, where indeed less and less stars were shining.

"We have to find the source of this…" Terrence reached into his pocket. "And fast!"

With a twist of the top and a shower of sparks, Terrence was suited up. Lisa, Tiara, and Niall did the same.

"…How exactly…do we find…where this is coming from?" Lisa asked, wheezing a little.

"…Look there!" Niall pointed to the sky. "Is it just me, or does that part of the sky look more…wispy?"

"Like…smoke?" Tiara gasped. "That would explain…the difficulty breathing…but if it's…blocking out the stars…yet still affecting us…"

"Come on," Terrence coughed. "It…gets thicker…this way."

"H-here," Lisa clicked her pen. Four small, stringed cloths appeared above each guardian. They floated down and gently tied themselves around their mouths and noses. "Better?"

"Much better," Terrence said. "Let's go!"

_**~Z~**_

"Everything is working perfectly," No Heart said, peering into his cauldron. He was not, however, peering into the one within his castle. Currently, he was set up within the living room of Arnold Jossburg. While his spell was immensely effective, it did little damage if the target wasn't in close range. "You have been a great help to me. Have you found the next ingredient?"

"I don't see how this is quite possible," Jossburg wrinkled his nose at the rotting apple pinched between his pointer finger and thumb. "But whatever you're doing seems to be working…"

"Trust me; this spell will rid you of all your troubles with Mr. Hart."

"…How do you know him, anyway?" Arnold tossed the apple into the smoking cauldron.

"There is a long history between us. I know many things about him, things that would change your opinion of him forever."

"…Is he really a criminal?"

"He has committed more crimes than you can imagine."

"How is this," Jossburg gestured to the cauldron as it poured smoke. "Going to expose him and his 'crimes'?" He took a sniff and winced. "It smells awful!"

"You could say it will…stifle his act for good," there was evident triumph in No Heart's voice.

"Well, it better work fast. I'm going to get some air freshener," Jossburg turned and left the room. From the other side of the hallway Shrieky strode into the living room.

"You told such a lie, Uncle No Heart," she said. "It's almost sad how much he believes what you say."

"Humans are creatures easily manipulated, Shrieky," the wizard said. "Especially when they are promised something in return for their services."

"Heh," Shrieky sat down on the couch. "It's so much fun to mess with them…"

_**~Z~**_

"…Something's wrong."

This was probably the most Brian had said all day. His usual nightly stargazing had been interrupted by something most disturbing. For one thing, the dark of night had settled in much earlier than normal, despite the fact that it was still early spring. Secondly, many of the stars he loved to watch were gone. They weren't just dim, nor had they changed positions. They were just…gone; spirited away over the course of the time he had been outside.

"Brian…? Are you awake again?" A sleepy voice called to him. The sound of light footfalls coming toward the porch filled his ears. A teen girl with soft green hair plodded outside. "You know, if you slept at night maybe you wouldn't be asleep all during the day…" she yawned.

"Whitney, it's not even 8:15," he retorted. "You're going to bed early."

"I'm exhausted," she mumbled. "I can't believe Ms. Wright made us practice from ten 'til four…I know the concert's in a week and everything, but really…"

"Whitney, can't you see something's up? Look at the sky," he guided his sister's eyes to the dark mass above them. "So many constellations are missing."

"Huh?" the girl peered up for a few seconds. Then she gasped. "You're right! Where's Ursa Major? And Chameleon? And Leo?"

"Look!" Brian pointed to a darker spot in the sky. "It looks like it's a cloud or smoke…"

"I've never seen clouds like that," Whitney said. "Maybe we should check it out."

"Let's hope Grandma is asleep," Brian got up from the porch step and rushed to his bike. Whitney did the same, and together they rushed into the night, looking for the source of the darkness that had taken away the stars.

_**~Z~**_

**Sigh…my ankle hurts :(**

**There's that episode. I hope you liked it! Though now it kind of feels like it was over too fast...**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I posted a drawing of Terrence! I created a folder just for Care Bears Z, as I will be making more of these. There's also a little bio of him. The link is on my profile page. Enjoy!**

**~Smiley :)**


	10. Quick Announcement

Hey guys, this is just a real quick announcement. This week there won't be an "episode" of Care Bears Z, but I will post it next week when finals are over! I also don't know my summer's schedule yet, but I will let you know if I happen to be out of town. I hope you guys had a happy Memorial Day and you're doing well. Rule The Pen!

~Smiley :) 


	11. Episode 10: The Starlight's Bane

**Hello again, everyone! Happy days are here again as I have defeated my writer's block! Thanks for being so patient and supportive. I hope you enjoy this next episode! Also, a bit of mild swearing in this one; just a warning.**

**Last time on Care Bears Z, No Heart enlisted the help of the spiteful Mr. Jossburg. They succeeded in creating mysterious smoke that blotted out the very stars! The four guardians of caring rushed off to face the villains. Meanwhile, brother and sister Brian and Whitney became suspicious of the sudden disappearance of their treasured stars, and rush off to find out the cause. Could these two play a key part in stopping No Heart's dastardly plans? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 10: The Starlight's Bane!**

**~Z~**

"This is not right."

The Great Wishing Star could not move about the sky as swiftly as he once could, but he was frantically swooping around as fast as possible. The darkness had spread from seemingly nowhere; it appeared just above the small city where his charges resided. No matter how he changed his position, he could not find any opening of light in the atmosphere above Carenburg.

A frightened squeak drew his attention from the Earth to the little star at his side. Star Buddy had tried several times to fly down to Earth, but each time it did so resulted only in an immediate zap back to his former place in the sky. Now, the little star was struggling to keep up with its guardian. The elderly star gazed at it in concern, feeling the little creature's energy waning with every moment. He could even feel his own power slowly seeping with every movement he made toward the smoky darkness.

"You must not interfere."

He turned toward the voice. She was not there; she had not fully revealed herself to him ever since that day some time ago, and instead appeared in the form of a fluctuating ball of light. A disgruntled frown graced his usually smiling features.

"I know that I will not. We have spoken about this before," he flew closer to the light. "And yet you continue to cast your spell against me. Do you not have faith in my word?"

"I do not trust," the voice said bluntly. "Nor do I mistrust. I am merely going to the extents that must be reached. The timetables-

"Yes, the timetables dictate your actions," the Star gently cut her off. "However, this is getting dangerous. Could they really be ready for this?"

"You are their master, yes?" the voice asked. She got no reply, and continued. "Do you think they are ready?"

"I..." he started, but the voice and the light were gone. Sighing softly, the Great Wishing Star turned back to Earth, watching in disgruntled helplessness as the smoke thickened and blotted the starlight from the city below.

**~Z~**

"Ugh..." Lisa groaned. She was feeling more and more lightheaded by the second. The smoke grew thicker and thicker with every yard of ground they covered, and though the cloth around her face greatly filtered her breathing, the dark smog was slowly slipping by. The other caring guardians were having the same problem, but still they pushed on. However, the closer they got to the source of the smoke, the more tired they grew.

"We have to k-keep going," Niall coughed. "I think I see...wait..." he stopped walking. "Is that...?"

"Whose house is this?" Terrence asked. Niall could only stare at the chimney of the house, from where thick black smoke poured into the night.

"No way..." he said in a dazed voice. "Joss...?"

**~Z~**

Inside the house, No Heart silently reveled in his triumph. He and Shrieky watched through the magic mirror as citizens of Carenburg became more and more sluggish. They could even see the four outside the house as they fought against the toxins in the smoke.

"Eehehee...the fools," Shrieky regarded the Care Bears. "This is why I love magic...anyone who doesn't understand it are blind to its true intentions!"

"Hmm..." No Heart peered closer into the mirror. "Perhaps I ought to add more..."

"That'll knock those do-gooders down and out for sure!" Shrieky said gleefully.

"Then again...look," No Heart pointed a thin finger at two more figures in the mirror. They were slowly crawling around the outskirts of the Jossburg property, looking tired but determined. "They are on the outside as well. A sudden rise in the amount of dark magic would be enough to kill them and anyone else who breathes it. The suspicion the deaths would bring won't do us any good right now."

"Ohh..." Shrieky puffed her cheeks out. "What do we do about them, then?"

"You are becoming impatient, Shrieky," No Heart said cooly. "If you are so eager, dispose of them yourself. However, failure is not an option."

"Of course, No Heart." She said. With a slight flip of her hair, she took her mirror and, without so much as a warning, flickered out of sight.

**~Z~**

"You mean Jossburg, that man from your office?" Tiara asked. Niall could only nod his head.

"What's he got to d-do with all this?" she said with a small cough.

"No Heart must have something to do with it," Terrence frowned.

"Wow, whatever gave you that idea?"

The guardians of caring whipped around to see Shrieky standing between them and the front door. The thick smoke wafted around her, though didn't seem to affect her in any way. In fact, the teen wore a rather cocky smile.

"You're getting better at connecting the dots," she continued snarkily. "You want a gold star?"

"What are you and No Heart up to, Shrieky?" Niall stepped forward. "What is this..." he began to cough. "Smoke..."

Shrieky grinned at his pain. She lifted her mirror, facing all of them.

"Just take a look."

"What is...no," Terrence whispered as they all looked into the mirror. The images continued to flash, but they all showed some resident of Carenburg. Some of the people were better off than others, but they were all suffering. A particular image of an elderly woman looking over two sleeping children, her face pained and her figure hunched, struck a nerve in all of them.

"You like?" Shrieky asked. "Lord No Heart cooked this up with the help of that little rat man."

"You mean Mr. Jossburg?" Niall asked. "Why would you bring him into this?"

"No Heart found him useful," Shrieky shrugged. "He just ran the errands and stuff, and his house was an ideal site to launch the spell."

"I thought Beastly was your errand boy," Lisa quipped. "What happened?"

"Beastly...is on what you might call probation," the teen witch responded. "He botched one too many plots for No Heart's taste."

"Well, Beastly or no Beastly, we're going to stop you," Terrence declared. "You won't be making people suffer like this again anytime soon."

"Oh no?" Shrieky blinked. "Well, how could I change your mind about that...oh, I know!"

Before they could say another word, the witch raised her free hand and curled her pointer finger. There was a yelp and a crash, and from the shrubs on the lawn's edge flew two teenagers, wrapped in a translucent gray aura.

"What the...what!?" Terrence pitched forward. Lisa jumped to attention as well, and the adults looked to them in alarm. "Brian? Whitney?"

"Ohh..." the two newcomers had grown pale, their faces taut and sickly.

"Brian Facey, age 15, ninth grader at Carenburg High School," Shrieky recited calmly. "and his adopted sister Whitney Facey, age 14, also a ninth grade student at Carenburg High. I do my research," she examined her nails smugly.

"W-what are you two doing here?" Terrence exclaimed.

"Ter...rence?" Brian muttered. His eyes half-open, but instead of the half-lidded drowsiness they usually showed, they now held fatigue and slight pain.

"I guess some people actually care about the sky," Shrieky wrinkled her nose as the c-word left her lips. "I've no idea why, though..."

"What's...going on?" Whitney's voice was small and strained. "What have you...done to the...stars?"

"Oh, so you figured out what the smoke's doing, hm?" Shrieky's voice took on a bored tone. "Yes, it's blocking your precious stars. Actually, it's more than that. It's doing the same thing it's doing to you, though on a bit of a smaller scale. You see," she swung her hand around, swinging her levitated hostages with it. "The dark magic toxins in the smoke reduce the sense of emotion in the brain, as well as the basic motor controls and your spirit's strength. Too much of it will not only erase your feelings; it'll erase your energy, spiritual power, and even you in time!"

"That's...so cruel," Tiara couldn't even say the words. In all the conflicts the Care Bears had had with No Heart, none of them had ever been so dangerous as to possibly result in the death of people. Death of the Care Bears had often been possible, but never the humans...

"So strike if you want, goody-goodies," Shrieky said gleefully. "You'll have to get through your little friends first!"

"Brian..." Whitney whispered. Her figure was naturally small and not very strong, and that made her seem all the more pitiful. The look on her face said it all: she was scared.

"Whitney..." Brian gritted his teeth. His eyes flashed with worry. He was her brother; it was his job to protect her from harm! Now they were both trapped in this mess...and he had gotten them into it in the first place.

The aura around them was stifling. It seemed to consist of whatever was in the smoke, and it made both of the teens were gradually growing weaker. It was as if their very being was getting drained, and something inside them was egging them to stop struggling.

"Let them go, Shrieky!" Terrence said. "They have nothing to do with this!" he readied his pen to throw a Care Bear Stare at the young witch, who merely rolled her eyes.

"If they have nothing to do with this, why did they come running?" she asked smugly. "I've been around humans long enough to know what they're like on the inside. No matter how much they say they care, in times of uncertainty they'll just run away."

"That's not true!" Lisa said, though her voice cracked as she suppressed a cough. "There will always be someone to stand up for w-what's right!"

"Well, if that's the case, come and fight the wrong!" Shrieky taunted. "That is, if your little friends don't mean that much to you."

The Care Bears glared at her, not sure if she was bluffing or being serious.

"Ack..." Brian began to cough. His muscles were flat out ignoring his brain. He began to wonder if it would just be better to stop, and to let whatever was in this smoke do what it wanted to his body. He glanced up at the dim, empty sky, then over to his sister. She was pale, and couldn't seem to keep her eyes open. He turned back to the sky, and set all his being on looking for any sign of a twinkle of light. If he had been able, he would have clenched his fists in determination. He needed to help. He needed to protect his sister. He needed to protect the people that were suffering right now!

His chest pulsed with a little blue light. At the same time, Shrieky felt a ripple in her binding spell. She looked to her captives in confusion and saw the light as it pulsed again. The caring guardians watched in awe.

"Does this mean...?" Tiara trailed off, watching as the light grew brighter and brighter. Soon it consumed Brian's entire body, and Shrieky yelped and released them from her spell. Whitney gasped for breath as Lisa moved to break her fall. She looked at her brother in amazement.

The light grew to blinding proportions. It bathed everything in a pale blue glow, until it finally faded. When it did, they could all see Brian standing there confidently. His outfit had transformed into a half-buttoned, midnight blue trench coat on top of a lighter blue shirt, midnight blue pants, and shiny black shoes that clicked with each step he took.

"It's over, Shrieky!" he said. He stretched out his now blue-gloved hand, and in it appeared a light blue ballpoint pen with a sleeping crescent moon and star on the top.

"The nighttime is my domain,  
Protecting the Earth when the sun goes down!  
Spreading caring throughout the peaceful night  
I am Bedtime Bear!"

"B-Brian?" Whitney couldn't stop staring at him. She could feel a familiarity washing over her, as if she had heard that name before...

"Fix this now, Shrieky!" Brian rushed over to the other caring guardians, who were standing tall with newfound confidence. "The night is no place for such a horrible magic!"

"Tsk," Shrieky scowled at them. "You won't win that easily. I still have-

"One thing you don't have is me," Whitney stood up carefully. "I've heard that name before...Bedtime Bear...and the more I think about it...yes, I remember!" she grew more and more excited, looking to the Care Bears with hopeful eyes. A soft glow was beginning to surround her as well. She looked from face to face, becoming more and more animated and glowing ever brighter as she did so. "And you," she pointed to Shrieky. "I remember you now! I..." her gaze shot up to the sky. Her eyes widened slightly. The light suddenly grew in a quick burst. Everyone shielded their eyes, and kept them protected until the light finally dissipated with a quick flash. Whitney stood taller now, and was beaming with determination. Her clothes had also transformed; she was now wearing a turquoise, kimono-like dress. Its skirt came to her knees and a pale golden bow was tied around the waist. A stardust gold clip pinned her hair from her face. Light yellow gloves rested on her hands, and a turquoise ballpoint pen with a shooting star top rested in them.

"Yes, I remember it all!" she said. Whitney shot a look at Shrieky, who was scowling darkly.

"Bringer of hope and keeper of peace,  
Protector of the dearest dreams of people everywhere  
And dear friend of the celestial bodies  
I am Wish Bear!"

"Give up, Shrieky," she said. "All of us share a bond with the stars above, and you'll do good to bring them back!"

"I don't do 'good', Care Bear," Shrieky cast a murderous glare at Whitney, but the cyan-haired girl didn't back down. She stood next to her brother, who gave her a bright smile before turning back to the witch before them. "And besides, it's only a matter of time before this smoke knocks you all out of commission."

"I don't feel anything," Niall said. "Do you, Tiara?" he turned to his wife.

"It's fading," she said. "I'm not coughing anymore!"

"Neither are we," Terrence and Lisa agreed.

"I'm fine, too," Brian added.

"You see, Shrieky?" Whitney said. "When there's enough caring in the world, the darkness will alway lose!"

"STOP IT!" Shrieky snapped. Her eyes flashed and electricity crackled dangerously around her hands. "You stupid little bears won't win this time! No Heart will make sure of that! But right now you're really making me want to do it myself!" She swung her mirror, sending a wave of crimson lightning at the group. They all scattered out of the way of the bolts. The electricity shot to the wall of the property, then dissipated suddenly.

"A barrier...?" Niall looked over his shoulder at the house of his co-worker. Upon reaching out, his hand touched a strange, rubber-like form that seemed to gain color upon his touch. He ducked down as another bolt rushed toward him.

"Grr," Shrieky was becoming increasingly irritated. "Stay still so I can fry you!"

"Keep it up, everyone!" Tiara said, gazing around at the slightly shimmering barrier. "I have an idea. If we can just keep dodging..."

"Why-won't-you-hold-still!?" Shrieky punctuated each word with a blast from her mirror. Her face was becoming red with fury. Finally, after hurling a blast that failed to hit even close to any of the caring guardians, she snapped. Shrieky lived up to her namesake and unleashed an earsplitting scream. Everyone covered their ears, and the very air trembled with the sound. The Care Bears weren't harmed at all by the horrible noise, but the barrier wasn't so lucky. It cracked in several places, and by the time Shrieky's scream was over it had shattered and disintegrated.

"What!?" Shrieky realized the consequence of her action. "Why, you-!"

"That was brilliant, True Heart," Terrence noted. "How you used Shrieky's own magic against her."

"Hm?" Tiara looked over at the boy. 'He called me True Heart...'

"You damn bears!" Shrieky was beyond irate. She swung her mirror high, preparing to send more dark magic their way. "I'll end you! I'll-

"Enough, Shrieky."

No Heart's voice was so calm it was chilling. He placed a bony hand on Shrieky's shoulder, forcing her to lower the mirror. His red eyes turned to the Care Bears, who froze under his gaze. No-one moved for a moment, and a pregnant silence hung in the air.

"It appears the plans have changed," the wizard finally said. "You are free to go. I will disperse the Starlight's Bane haze immediately."

"...What?" This was all Niall could say, and he was the only one who could really say anything.

"I don't believe I misspoke. I said I will diffuse the smoke and end the spell. You are free to go."

"What? But No Heart-

"Go inside, Shrieky," he cooly cut his niece off. "I will speak with you later."

The young witch looked like she would object, but one look from the seasoned wizard killed any retort she might have had. She cast one last glare at the Care Bears before storming into the house. No Heart once again gazed at the guardians of caring, who found that they could not look away. Then he turned toward the house, waved his hand, and mumbled a few words under his breath.

"There," he said, turning back to the Care Bears. "Look and see for yourself as the smoke fades."

"Oh!" Whitney looked to the sky. "The stars are coming back! Look, there's the Great Wishing Star!" she pointed to the slowly strengthening light above them.

"Is that..." Tiara peered up at the night. She broke into a smile as the little creature floated down to her at top speed, forcing it to circle around before finally resting on her shoulder. "Star Buddy, I missed you. Are you alright?"

"The spell will be over by the time you return to your homes. Therefore, I will leave you."

"Hold on a minute!" Niall said. "Why are you just walking away? What are you planning, No Heart?"

"All in good time, Care Bears. All in good time." he turned and walked into the house.

"What do we do now?" Brian asked. "He did start clearing the smoke."

"Perhaps you all should go home. Can you kids find your way back?" Niall asked.

"No problem," Brian said. Whitney nodded in agreement. "I hope we can meet up again soon."

"We should get going, too," Terrence said.

"I hope my parents won't flip out too much," Lisa mumbled, pursing her lips in concern.

"Alright then. Be safe, everyone," Tiara called as the younger members of the Care Bear Family left for their homes. Little Star Buddy squeaked in agreement. When they were out of sight, she turned to her husband. "Are you sure we shouldn't walk them? What if something happens?"

"I trust that they can defend themselves," Niall said. "However, I want to stay awhile and see if anything else is going to happen here."

"Do you think-oh?" Tiara looked at her pen. Its top was gently pulsing with a soft glow. Niall's was doing the same, and before they knew it they were no longer looking at the Jossburg house, but a lovely starry sky. They rose up until they came face-to-face with...

"Oh! Great Wishing Star," Tiara perked up. Star Buddy circled around her head before rushing to the great old star. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I am unharmed," he said. "I know you must have many questions..."

"Do you know what's happened to us?" Niall asked. "We all remember the times before we became humans, but why did we become human in the first place?"

"I do know why you became the humans you are," GWS replied. "And yes, even though you were indeed the Care Bears and Care Bear Cousins, you are still very much the human people you are today. However, that is the extent to which I can answer you."

"Great Wishing Star," Tiara's voice had softened, becoming more thoughtful. "Do you know what No Heart is planning? What he did today...he said something about the Starlight's Bane..."

"The Starlight's Bane is a powerful dark magic spell," the star replied. "As its name instates, this spell weakens the already mild spiritual power of stars. It is a spell of suffering and hopelessness, they very opposite of what stars represent, and thus weakens everyone and everything affected by it."

"That's terrible," Tiara said. "...Can it really kill people?"

"If they are exposed to it long enough, it can."

"Something is very wrong with all this," Niall said. "Of all the schemes No Heart had cooked up, the deadly effects were always targeted toward us. He's never tried to actually kill anyone."

"His way of thinking has changed drastically," GWS said, a solemn air gracing his tone. "One thing that has certainly changed is the length of his patience, and because of that, he has become very dangerous. He is planning far, far ahead, and from what we saw tonight he is testing the waters first."

"He's...testing us?"

"It would appear so," the old star sighed. "It pains me to keep things from you, but it is not my choice. All I can say is that you must be careful. Keep going strong, and look out for those around you. A time will come when you must fight harder than ever before, and it will take all of your hearts to do so."

"Thank you, Great Wishing Star," Niall said. "For everything."  
"I will be here, should we need to speak again," GWS smiled gently. "Now, you should rest yourselves. You've succeeded in healing the town. Well done."

He watched them wave goodbye as he sent them back to Earth. Star Buddy trailed after them, squeaking happily.

**~Z~**

**Well, that's that! I hope you guys liked it. I think this is the longest episode I've written. Just what do you think No Heart is doing? What could he possibly be trying to accomplish by starting a spell and just giving up like that? Sound pretty fishy...**

**It's starting to storm where I live. I hope I don't lose power...**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I'm gonna try to upload more art by tonight or tomorrow. Enjoy!**

**~Smiley :)**


	12. Episode 11: Speculation Frustration

**Hello again, guys. I'm sorry...summer is getting to me! I had a time trying to figure out where the story should lead...and I guess it doesn't help that I'm apparently going out of state for a couple of weeks starting Monday. Hopefully, though, I'll be able to find a Wi-Fi hotspot or something of that nature. Until then, however, I'm gonna try to think up more ideas for upcoming episodes. Please enjoy!**

**Last time on Care Bears Z, No Heart mysteriously stopped his evil scheme after a confrontation with the Care Bear Family. What could the evil wizard be up to? However, more and more worries are beginning to show themselves in the lives of our heroes. Will family issues, budding romance, and slowing school years leave the Care Bear Family larger, or will they only result in despair? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 11: Speculation Frustration!**

**~Z~**

"Lloyd," Mr. Danek called from the kitchen as his son walked by. The boy backpedaled to the doorway, his head tilted in questioning. Arthur put down the files he had been looking through and beckoned his son into the kitchen. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Lloyd sat down across from him. He was a bit taken aback by his father's rather grave expression. "Is everything okay?"

"You have classes with Lisa, right?" he started. "Lisa Clarke?"

"Yeah," a bit of realization appeared in the boy's eyes. "Is this about what happened the other day?"

"Has she been acting...different lately?" Lloyd shook his head.

"I don't hang out with her that often," he replied. "But she doesn't seem any different. Everyone was concerned for a bit, but she kept insisting she was fine, so it kind of blew over."

"Hmm..." Mr. Danek looked down at the file folder on the table.

"She seems okay, dad," Lloyd said. "I don't know why anyone would have wanted to take her."

"Right..." he flipped the pages of the folder with his thumb. "Well, if something happens, you'll tell me, right?"

"Right," Lloyd nodded earnestly. He stood up from the table. "Um...I'll see you tonight."

Arthur nodded, and Lloyd left the room. He heard the front door open and close as his son left for school. Sighing, he looked through the doorway to the living room, setting his gaze on the picture on the wall. It had been taken so long ago, it seemed. Lloyd had been only 10 then. In the photo, he was standing between himself and - in Mr. Danek's opinion - the most beautiful woman alive. Oftentimes he found himself wondering if there really could have been a chance of fixing things...though the more he thought about it, the less likely it seemed. Shaking his head, Arthur picked up the file and headed to his home office.

**_~Z~_**

"Well, it's official," A perky voice from behind her locker door startled Lisa out of her thoughts. She closed the door and was met with a grinning girl with long pink hair tied back in a ponytail.

"What is?" she asked. The girl gave her an incredulous look before pulling her over to the wall. Lisa gazed at the bright blue poster stuck on it.

"The end-of-the-year dance, of course! It's officially happening in three weeks. I can't believe you haven't seen these all over the school."

"Oh, yeah," Lisa said. She had indeed seen the colorful posters on her way to her locker, but hadn't really taken the time to read them. "I guess it is..." her eyes went wide. "It IS!"

"Omigosh, I can't wait!" the other girl said happily. She was practically jumping around, making the skirt of her rainbow-gradient dress bounce above her pink leggings. Lisa suddenly smirked and giggled at her friend.

"Of course you can't, Charity," she said. "Anything to dress up for your man. How's it going with Chris, anyway?"

"Ohh, perfectly!" Charity smiled dreamily. "I can't wait for our next date...I hope it's just like Saturday..."

"Well, unless you can squeeze another date in between now, the last game of the season, and the dance," Lisa started.

"Well, there's always the party after the game, seeing as there's no way my boo can lose," Charity said proudly. "That's going to be the best. And don't get me STARTED on the dance," her smile grew bigger. "You and I are gonna have to do some MAJOR shopping later."

"Shopping? I hope you're not going without me," A girl with peachy blonde hair wearing a simple-yet-elegant vintage sundress came up to them.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Precious," Charity said. "Hey, do you think Lloyd is gonna ask you?"

"I don't know," Precious replied. "It's not like the dance is tomorrow. He may...find someone..."

"Are you kidding? There's no way he could find someone else!" Lisa blurted. "He likes you; and you like him too, I know it."

"Oh..are you sure?" Precious asked, a light blush appearing on her pale face.

"Why don't you ask?" Charity said in a hushed tone. "Here he comes!"

"Oh!" Precious turned around, trying to compose herself as a boy with dark blue hair strolled toward their little group.

"Good morning, ladies," he said politely. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting..."

"Not at all," Lisa said with a smile. "We were just about to head to class, right Charity?"

"Right," Charity smirked, catching on. "We're off to history! See you two later."

Before either Lloyd or Precious could react, the two girls rushed down the hall toward the stairs. Inside, Precious mildly began to panic. She turned back to Lloyd, who was smiling bemusedly.

"Er...I just wanted to ask you, Precious," he started. "Are you coming to the game on Friday?"

"Of course," she said. "I wouldn't miss it for the world. I know you're going to win," she giggled. Lloyd seemed to relax a little bit.

"Well, I was wondering...if you're not busy after the game...would you like to go to a movie?" the boy rubbed the back of his head. "I mean, not to insinuate that there won't be an after party...but even if there is, and you don't fancy that...of course, if you do that's alright...I mean..."

Precious opened her mouth to respond, but the warning bell rang at that moment. She sighed inwardly, but Lloyd smiled at her.

"May I be so honored as to walk you to class, milady?" he offered her his arm. Precious smiled and accepted. When they reached the science hall, Lloyd gave her a gentle smile.

"Please think about my offer, Precious," he said. "I would love to spend time with you. I'll see you later," he waved as he left for his own class.

**_~Z~_**

"Hey, Lloyd," Ben greeted the boy as he walked into the Biology class. Then he turned back to Preston. "So, you're actually gonna be helping with the dance?"

"Hey, somebody's gotta hang streamers and balloons all over the school," Preston absently flipped through the workbook on his desk. Benjamin raised his eyebrow.

"Whoa...What kind of balloons are we talkin', here?"

"What?" Preston feigned a hurt look. "Am I not to be trusted with balloons?"

"It's hard to trust you with anything, man," Ben shrugged. Preston's jaw dropped and his eyes narrowed. Ben simply smirked and shook his head. "I mean, what with what happened last month..."

"How can you blame me for that?" the other boy asked. "You know April's meant for that sort of thing!"

"Yeah, for one day, not the whole month. I'm just saying, dude."

"Alright, everyone," A stout woman in a plain black dress entered the room through a storage door in the front of the room. "Calm down, let's get started. As you know, finals for this class will be in two weeks, and I expect everyone to pass...with at least a C," she added the last part upon seeing a couple students relax after the comment on passing. "So, everyone has the next few classes to study, and then we'll start our final project before the finals are done." At the sudden wave of groans, sucked teeth, and rolled eyes, she added, "And I can assure you that this project will indeed be fun. Now, get to it!"

Ben and Preston took the advantage of group studying to sit by Byron, who more or less had no objections. They spent a good chunk of the class looking over a few things, some more than others as they didn't quite remember some things from the beginning of the year.

"Ugh," Ben leaned back in his chair and held his head in his hands. "Yo Byron, do you think you guys could push the dance up a couple weeks? I dunno if I can survive past finals..."

"Ah, you'll live," the blond boy said. "Besides, an end-of-the-year dance has to be just that; at the end of the year. Duh..."

"So, you're saying it should be on New Year's Eve?" Preston retorted with a smirk. Byron looked up from his book with a glare.

"End of the year means end of the school year. End of our WORK."

"Juuust checking," Preston tossed his head, leaned back, and stretched. "I kind of agree with the finals, though. I just barely made honor roll last quarter, and I can't afford to fail now." He sat back up. "I'm too close to getting a new phone..."

"Maybe ya shouldn't have dropped your old one off the bleachers," Ben said.

"How was I supposed to know it would break so easily?"

"Oh, I dunno, READ THE MANUAL?"

"Pfft. I knew what I was doing. No-one reads those for real..." Preston sat back in his chair with folded arms. Ben and Byron snickered at him. He rolled his eyes and smirked.

_**~Z~**_

"Well, at least they're serving something good today," Ciara Powell sighed as she trudged through the lunch line behind her friend Harriet Best. "Even if it's only the shaved ice."

"I guess the burgers aren't TOO bad, when you get past the burnt ones," Harriet said, wrinkling her nose. "But it's so repetitive. It's like they gotta have the same thing every day." The two purple-haired girls turned around. "You're awful quiet, Whitney. Somethin' up?"

"Hm? Oh, nothing," the Whitney said. Her friends blinked at her, before turning around and moving up in line. Whitney frowned. It had been the same all day; they seemed completely unaffected by the events of the previous night. Could No Heart's spell really have had no after effect when he terminated it? That was how it seemed. No-one in the city appeared to have felt it last night. Whitney's thoughts continued like this until she reached the table. She sat across from Shana Goldstein, a rather quiet friend of hers. She looked at the bag of chips Shana was currently eating from, and looked down at the turkey burger she'd had to get.

"Want some, Whitney?" Shana smiled and held out the bag. Whitney smiled and grabbed a handful.

"Thanks."

"Okay, everyone's gonna be at the showcase Friday, right? No plan changes?" Harriet said seriously. Her friends shook their heads, and she relaxed. "Okay, that's good."

"You're more pressed than the upperclassmen, Hare!" Shana pulled out her friend's nickname, the one only her close friends could use.

"Well, I just wanna see this go well. I love performin', but I can't carry all the notes in the choir. Ya'll seriously need to show up."

"Chill out, Harriet," Ciara said. "We're not going to be flake."

"I guess I'm just nervous after what happened before winter break," Harriet hung her head. "I still can't believe Naomi! I mean, how you gonna get a solo in the concert and then NOT show up? I mean, come on now..."

"Well, don't worry, we promise not to let THE CHOIR down," Share smiled and shook her head. "Don't worry so much; it'll be fine."  
"I hope so..." Harriet pulled the foil off the top of her shaved ice.

_**~Z~**_

"Ohh..." Terrence sighed and closed his French book. He was in no shape to study; too much was on his mind. At least he had a good reason to be worrying now. He simply found it too odd that No Heart had apparently reversed his spell, and not a single person he'd talked to today had seemed to remember its effects. He was worried by what this could possibly mean...why would No Heart just stop his attack?

Another thought made Terrence shudder. It hadn't just been some new scheme to make the world stop caring; from what the evil wizard had said, his spell had had the ability to kill. Why on Earth would he kill innocent human beings? Just what was he trying to do?

He looked at his alarm clock. It was almost 9:30. Wendy was asleep. Mr. Lawson was still at work...again. Sighing rather irritably, Terrence flopped back onto his bed. He felt awful for doing so, but he was beginning to be a bit angry with his father. It seemed now he and Wendy only saw him on weekends, when they went to visit Mrs. Lawson. Was his job really so important that he had to be there 22/7? Couldn't he come home more often? It wasn't like the mayor had THAT much work for him...

"He works really hard," Terrence mumbled. "He works hard for us...for me and Wendy and mom."

Slowly getting up to prepare for bed, Terrence wondered why the words felt like they had no meaning.

**_~Z~_**

**There we have it! I know it's a little shorter than normal, but this is mostly filler for real. Thank you all for being so patient, and I'm afraid you'll have to be so again for the next couple weeks. I don't know if I'll be able to update at all, but if I do, I don't think much will be revealed. Thanks again, you guys, for all your support!**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: I won't ask you guys if you can guess who the characters are, but if you want to you can. And did you catch that burnt burger quip in there? It's based on a true story: one time I was buying school lunch, and they had burgers. I got one, and went to the planning committee's meeting room. I open the wrapper on the burger, and the thing is freaking CHARRED. Rock-hard bread, blackened cheese and everything. Yuck.**


	13. Episode 12: He That Spies

**Hi, I'm back! :D Again, thank you all for being so very patient with me. Laundromat wifi was too limited, so I went to McDonald's. I've worked on the story and hopefully will be able to fall back into my regular updating sched by the time I get home. Here goes!**

**Last time on Care Bears Z, our heroes struggled with not only the stressful events of their human lives, but interesting developments in their Care Bear lives as well. Something strange is definitely going on with the evil No Heart. No-one seems to be showing any knowledge of what happened just the night before! Could No-Heart be up to something more sinister than ever before, and will the current Care Bears ever find a way to awaken the rest of the family? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 12: He That Spies!**

_**~Z~**_

Darkness was a natural part of the castle. Even so, much of that darkness was punctuated with the flickering light of candles and, at the very least, the glowing red eyes of the shadows. However, one part of this dark abode had no light. It was black as pitch, and the silence was the only thing that filled the room. A dank, horrible smell hung in the air, and one could only place it as evil. Nothing good could ever come of this room, and anyone who went into it surely wouldn't last long.

No Heart swung open the door to the room and strode in four steps exactly. His bright crimson eyes flashed with a mild yet sickening expectation.

"Now, are you ready to regain your position?" he asked into the darkness. His only response was a low growl. His head lowered slightly, hiding what could have been a satisfied smirk.

"Good. Go now, and gather information for me. Do not let yourself be seen. Do not fail me again, Beastly."

There was silence, then a slight shifting. Another growl, and finally a raspy voice sounded through the room.

"Yes, my lord."

_**~Z~**_

"Get fired up! Let's get down! Grizzly Bears don't mess around!"

"One more time, gals!" Charity called. "Make sure you all stomp hard on the last part!"

The cheerleaders obliged, repeating the chant and steps again. Charity got in position for her part. While she was walking, she saw Christopher glance her way. She smiled and waved. The blond boy smiled back.

"Trent!" the baseball coach called. "You're up!"

Christopher got up from the bench and jogged to home plate. He picked up the bat and readied himself, staring at the pitcher confidently. He gripped the bat's handle, taking a satisfactory deep breath. The pitcher wound up, then fired the ball at him.

The sharp crack as the bat hit the ball was like music to his ears. He saw the ball soar in a white arc above the field. Tossing the bat down expertly, he darted to first base. Seeing that the ball hadn't yet been scooped up, he dashed to second, then, bracing himself, he sprinted for third - and slid in just before the ball touched his back.

A few cheers rose from his teammates and friends in the stands. He smiled and stood, dusting himself off a bit.

"Flawless as always, Chris," a boy named Micheal commented, handing him a water bottle.

"Ah, there's always room for improvement," he shrugged. Then he paused and said, "But then again, they don't put people on varsity for nothin'."

"Alright, everybody, that's all for today," the coach shouted. "I wanna see all of you in the field tomorrow at 3:30 sharp!"

The man got several muttered replies from the team. Christopher grabbed his bag from the bench. He stood and watched as the cheerleaders finished their practice. He glanced at Brandon, who had been waiting out both practices in the bleachers doing his homework and was now packing up his things.

"You were great out there," Brandon jogged up to him from his seat in the stands. "There's no way you'll lose tomorrow."

"Hm...yeah, you're right," he smiled at his friend.

"'Kay, I'm ready," Charity skipped over to them. "And the whole cheer team is ready to chant you all to victory! Not that you need it, of course..."

"Actually, I don't know what we'd do without you," Chris gave her a quick kiss. Brandon glanced away, clearing his throat softly.

"Well, let's get going," Charity smiled.

They walked off the school grounds together, oblivious to the pair of eyes watching them from behind a small group of trees. Beastly slipped back into the shade, away from any curious eyes. He slid a small tablet from his pocket and flipped the cover open.

"Christopher Trent..." he whispered into it. "Charity Short...Brandon Rogers. More information required on Brandon Rogers...conclusive information found on Charity Short and Christopher Trent."

There was silence, and then a soft beep. He slipped the device back into his pocket and scanned the area. He left the trees and strode down the sidewalk.

_**~Z**_

"Hmm..." Tiara sighed, placing her head in her hands.

"Something wrong, Tia?" Niall glanced into the room. "You've been up here for a while."

"I'm just thinking..." she looked down at the document on her laptop. "I've been assissting the head defense attorney with a case, and something about the prosecution's argument just doesn't make sense...but I can't figure out what."

"What's the case?"

"Well, the client is one Ms. Andrea Siontz. She's been charged with theft and assault at a small but popular ice cream shop in Philly at 8:00 in the morning, and we can't really prove her alibi. Still, something's been bugging me..." Tiara blinked, then scrolled through the document with the mouse. "Hey, sweetie, can you look at this?"

"Is that a picture of the crime scene?" Niall peered at the photo in the document. It showed a woman with a large purse leaving a store, the door wide open. The woman's shadow stretched to the east side

"Yes. This picture was taken at the scene of the crime from a security camera outside the store, and apparantly it's of the defendant fleeing the scene of the crime. But riddle me this: since the shop is facing the south side of town, and this all happened in the morning, wouldn't the shadow of the defendant be facing the west?"

"That's right," Niall said. He pointed to the screen. "But here, it's facing the east!"

"And that means that either someone made a very wrong document of the time, or this picture has been tampered with." She leaned back in her chair. "I think we have a good argument now!"

"You, are very observant," Niall stood back upright. "See? You didn't need my help."

"If I hadn't called you, I probably wouldn't have gotten on the right track," she smiled, standing up herself and hugging him. "So yes, I did need you. Thank you."

"Anything to help the best woman in my life," he kissed her deeply.

"Mm...now where's all this flattery coming from?" she hugged him closer, continuing the kisses.

"Can I not give praise to a lady who deserves it?" he stroked her back.

"Hehe...well, I'm willing to accept," Tiara winked and released him, striding to the door. "But not in the study, alright?"

"Yes ma'am," Niall followed her out the door, reaching out and managing to tickle her sides. Tiara giggled and rushed down the hall.

_**~Z~**_

"Terrence?" Mr. Lawson called up the stairs. "Dinner's ready."

"It's dinner time!" Wendy jumped up slightly, balancing on the railing. "C'mon, Terrence!"

"Um, why don't you go sit at the table, Wendy?" Mr. Lawson said. He climbed the stairs and knocked on Terrence's door. "Terrence? Are you alright?" He knocked again. When he got no answer, he cautiously opened the door. Terrence was sitting on the bed, wearing his headphones and reading a book. He looked up when his dad came in, and took the headphones off.

"Oh, hey, dad..." he said softly.

"Something wrong?" Andrew sat on the edge of the bed.

"Well..." Terrence sighed. "Did you ever ask mom to a dance?"

"Well, yeah," Mr. Lawson shifted a bit. "That was where we started dating, actually; at our high school prom."

"How did you ask her?"

"...Ah, is that what this is about?" his dad smirked slightly.

"Dad..." Terrence blushed. Then he sighed in defeat. "The end-of-year dance is gonna be at the end of the month. I want to ask...someone, and I just don't know how."

"I see..." Mr. Lawson smiled knowingly. "Well, when I asked your mother, I stuttered and trembled and nearly dropped the chocolates I bought her."

"Really?" Terrence eyed his father questioningly. "Chocolates?"

"I know, I know, big century difference," Andrew said. "But traditional was my style, and she decided that she liked it. I guess what I'm trying to say is," he looked back at his son. "Be yourself; ask her in a way you think will work. I guarantee it's better than putting up a front. Women pick up on that kind of thing real fast," he stood up. "Now let's get downstairs. We don't want to keep Wendy waiting."

"Hey!" Wendy called up, as if on cue. "The rolls are getting cold and lonely! They're ready to be eaten; c'mon!"

"Cold and lonely?" Terrence repeated. "When you put it that way, it sounds really sad."

"Better hurry before the turkey gets old and senile," Mr. Lawson smiled as Terrence allowed himself a laugh.

_**~Z~**_

"What have you found?" No Heart asked the moment Beastly arrived back at the castle.

"I've found conclusive evidence that Christopher Trent and Charity Short are indeed related to the Care Bear Family. Evidence collected throughout today mildly suggest Brandon Rogers' relation, but further data is needed."

"Very well," No Heart peered into his smoking lightning pit. "I believe it is time to pay a visit to our dear Mr. Jossburg...go, Beastly, and fetch these ingredients." the evil wizard took a long sheet of parchment from the folds of his robe and thrust it into his minion's hands. Beastly nodded and rushed out the door, passing Shrieky in the hall.

"So you've figured out the next step of the plan?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip.

"Yes. It's rather sad, actually," No Heart looked back to the lightning pit. "How oblivious they are to what is happening. I suppose it is still rather early. It's also ironic, wouldn't you say?"

"For now, you both have the same goal," Shrieky said. "But for such different reasons."

"And soon, they will know my reason. Soon..." No Heart's eyes narrowed.

"Soon they will see the truth."

_**~Z~**_

**Oooh, ominous ending! I hope I did alright for this one, though it's kinda short. I threw in some TrueNoble romance :D and Beastly be creepin' *~* Just what did No Heart do to him to make his personality do a complete 180?**

**I tried my best to come up with a tricky puzzle for Tiara's law case thing. I use Phoenix Wright games as my reference :)**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: To all who celebrate it, happy belated Independence Day! My mom sort of made up for this rather boring vacation by taking me and my cousin to see fireworks...even if the show was only like 20 minutes long. Also, why does the country have to have so many flying bugs? They're everywhere!**

**~Smiley :)**


	14. Episode 13: Sudden Chills and Calls

**Sigh, so much for a normal updating schedule. How have you guys been? I've looked after small children, taken trips out of state to some historic sites, and did extensive research on how to write a court scene. However, I'm sure you came here for Care Bears and not my misadventures. So on with the story:**

**Last time on Care Bears Z, Beastly was sent out gathering evidence of possible members of the Care Bear Family. He seemed to have concluded that there were a couple of potential members! Just what could No Heart be planning to do with this information? Also, Tiara is entering her very first trial! Is the evidence she found enough to get the ball rolling toward more evidence for a not guilty verdict? Find out in Care Bears Z Episode 14: Sudden Chills and Calls!**

_**~Z~**_

"All rise for Judge Albert Warmsley!"

Everyone in the courtroom stood as the judge made his way to his chair. Upon sitting down and everyone else following suit, he cleared his throat.

"Court is now in session for the trial of Miss Andrea Siontz, a young woman attending the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. She is charged with one count of assault against the plaintiff, Mr. Caldwell Atkins," all eyes turned to the white-haired man standing near the prosecutor's desk. "And with stealing a total of $300 dollars from both the Sweet Chills ice cream shop and its owner's, Mr. Caldwell Atkins, personal wallet. This all occured on Thursday, May 2nd. Are the prosecution and defense ready to proceed?"

"The prosecution is ready, your Honor." A tall man with glasses and sleek blond hair said confidently. The first ever prosecutor she would fight against: Andrew McCray. He was a bit more experienced than she, but only enough to not be classified as a rookie.

"The defense is ready, your Honor." Tiara said in the most calm and collected fashion she could muster. She glanced over at Mr. Truman Apollo, the chief defense attorney and her boss. He nodded at her, and Tiara relaxed a little. Still, she placed a hand on the manila envelope next to her, as if protecting the vital evidence she had found.

"Good. The prosecution may issue its opening statement."

"Yes, your Honor," McCray said. "Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, it is my pleasure to represent dear Mr. Atkins here today. The evidence and testimony presented today will prove without a doubt that Andrea Siontz is guilty of not only stealing from a family-friendly treat shop, but stealing from and harming a poor, defenseless old man," he gestured to Mr. man was indeed quite old. His hair was shockingly white, and it sat in a neat pile atop his wrinkled head. He had a very upset expression; his scowl made his hook nose look all the pointier. He certainly didn't look like the cheery man on the shop's ads.

"My poor client was simply tending the shop before it opened for business," McCray continued. "When Miss Walters stormed in, assaulted him, and made off with money from both the cash register and Mr. Atkins' wallet." Tiara scowled inwardly at the overly-sympathetic tone in the prosecutor's voice.

"I see," Judge Warmsley nodded. "The defense may issue its opening statement now."

"Y-yes, your Honor," Tiara swallowed. She could already see that the judge was looking disapprovingly at Andrea. In all honesty, anyone could have given her that look and be partially justified. The young woman wasn't a very innocent looking character. She was nothing short of a rebel in means of appearance; she'd been wearing a checkered skirt and a tight t-shirt with the name Drowning Pool across the front when Tiara had first met her. Today she was wearing something a bit more formal: a form-fitting black dress and gray stockings. However, her attempt at serious attire did little to mask her aloof personality and bad attitude. She seemed to be permanently irritated, and constantly avoided looking at anyone for too long. Tiara breathed quietly, quickly calming herself. She knew she could turn the judge's mind around in time.

"Ladies and gentlemen, my client has been wrongly accused of attacking Mr. Atkins and stealing from him and his shop. Miss Siontz was nowhere near the shop, and she didn't do a single thing to this man."

"Alright then," Judge Warmsley said. "The prosecution may call its first witness."

"The prosecution calls the victim, Mr. Caldwell Atkins, to the stand."

Tiara watched as the elderly man crossed to the witness stand. The court reporter, a skinny, middle-aged man, stepped in front of him.

"Please raise your right hand," he said. When Mr. Atkins did so, he continued, "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do," Mr. Atkins said. Tiara's eyes widened slightly. A sudden pulse went through her head, and she gripped the desk. She looked hard at Mr. Atkins, and could have sworn she saw a slight ripple in the air around him. She blinked and shook her head slightly. The ripples vanished, and she watched as the man sat down and looked over at McCray.

"Witness, state your name and occupation, please." The prosecutor said.

"My name is Caldwell Atkins," Mr. Atkins said. 'And I run a modest ice cream shop on Addison Street."

"Yes, yes," McCray nodded. "Please tell the court what happened on May 2nd of this year."

"Well," Mr. Atkins rubbed his hands together. "It was about 8:00 in the morning. I'd just gotten to the shop and was preparing the store for business. I open at nine every morning, you see. Anyhow, I was just wiping down the counter when that woman there stormed into the shop! She knocked me over, snatched my wallet, and then forced the register open and took nearly everything!" the man's face seemed to fall considerably. "I called the police as soon as I came to my senses. They investigated and all that, and they even found footage on a security camera outside the shop. That's what happened."

"The footage was analyzed, your Honor," McCray stated. The prosecutor pulled a paper from his desk. "And a very crucial piece of evidence was revealed. May I present Exhibit A...Mr. Atkins, do you recognize this photograph?"

"Yes, yes, I do," the old man said. "That's the security picture. See, she's right there, coming out of the shop!"

"The prosecution moves that Exhibit A be admitted into evidence."

"The court accepts," Judge Warmsley agreed.

"May this please be passed to the judge and all members of the jury?" McCray handed the paper to the court reporter. "Thank you, sir."

"Now then," The judge said after taking a closer look at the photo and passing it along. "The defense may now conduct its cross-examination."

'Here goes,' Tiara thought. 'I have to do this just right.'

"Firstly, Mr. Atkins," she started. "Were you injured at all during this incident?"

"No, I wasn't, thank goodness," the man said bitterly. "It's a miracle I didn't even get a scratch!"

"Alright. Now Mr. Atkins," Tiara continued. "You say it was around 8:00 in the morning, correct?"

"Yes, that's right," Mr. Atkins said. Tiara could swear the man was dissecting her with his sharp gaze.

"And you are absolutely sure that it was Miss Siontz who came in, right?"

"Yes."

"You are undoubtedly positive?"

"Yes, indeed."

"You are absolutely sure," Tiara looked at Mr. Atkins as deeply as she could. "That my client, Andrea Siontz, came into your shop at 8:00 Thursday morning?"

"Yes, I am," Mr. Atkins narrowed his eyes. "Don't believe me, do you?"

"I am merely assuring that-

"Objection, your Honor," McCray interrupted. "The defense is badgering the witness. He has stated several times that he saw the clearly saw the defendant as she barged her way into the store."

"Objection, your Honor," Tiara retorted. "I am merely assuring that both I - and everyone present in this court today - understand what the witness has stated."

"If the defense is still not convinced," McCray waved the photo, which had finally come back into his possession. "Perhaps you would like to take another look at the security photo, Mrs. Hart. Clearly it shows the defendant leaving the shop."

"Yes, it is," Tiara said. "However, this photo also shows a glaring contradiction with the witness testimony."

"And what might that be?" Mr. Atkin's tone made the question sound more like a demand.

"If I may present the same photo," Tiara finally reached onto her desk and revealed the copy of the photo. "Indeed, this shows my client, Andrea Siontz, leaving the shop. However, it is impossible for this photo to have been taken in the morning!"

"And why is that?" Mr. Atkins was clearly irritated now. Tiara's eyes gained a very stern light.

"Mr. Atkins, your shop faces the south side of town, correct?"

"Yes, it very well does!"

"And you say that this photo was taken at the time of the crime, 8:00 in the morning, right?"

"Yes," Mr. Atkins narrowed his eyes so far they seemed to disappear. "What are you getting at?"

"Now, the sun would have risen by then, but of course it wouldn't be directly overhead," Tiara fought to keep her heart from pounding out of control. "Therefore the shadow of anyone in its light would be quite long. In this photo, there is indeed a very long shadow. However, if the sun were still on its way to the peak of the day, that would mean most of it was still in the east."

"...What are you insinuating, Mrs. Hart?" Tiara felt the slight tingle of goosebumps roll up her arms. The man's voice had sent a chilly feeling through the air...she didn't like it at all, but she needed to reveal the truth.

"I am insinuating, Mr. Atkins," she handed the photo to the elderly man. "That if this photograph had truly been taken at the time of the crime, person in this photo would have a shadow pointing to the west. However, the photo here shows the shadow pointing east!"

"...wha...how?!" Mr. Atkins stuttered.

"May this be passed along to the judge and jury again?" Tiara handed the photo to the court reporter. "If you would all take a closer look at the photograph, you will see that this photo does not show the alleged culprit fleeing the crime scene in the morning, but the defendant leaving the shop in the evening. Therefore, this photo cannot be used as proof of the defendant's guilt."

"..." Tiara glanced over at Mr. McCray. His mouth opened for a moment, and he looked a bit

"This changes things quite a bit," the judge finally said. "Witness, do you have an explanation for this?"

"W-well..." Mr. Atkins wrung his hands furiously; Tiara could see his knuckles turning white. "I don't, your Honor. You see, this picture was taken from the building across the street, not my little shop. I'm afraid it is not my fault that this picture is faulty evidence."

Tiara bit her lip to keep from gasping as a chill shot up her spine. The ripples had come back, surrounding Mr. Atkins. She rubbed her left temple, blinking rapidly. She tried to focus on what was happening before her as the ripples faded slowly.

"Anyhow, it doesn't matter. There's still plenty of proof to convict that woman!" the old man sneered.

"And what might that be, Mr. Atkins?" Tiara asked in a level voice.

"When she knocked me down, that's what," replied. "When she pushed me and took my wallet."

"Mr. Atkins, are you saying the defendant took your entire wallet? Not just the money inside?"

"Yes, she took the entire thing!" Mr. Atkins stressed.

"Was the wallet recovered in the arrest?" Tiara asked. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly; she had to turn this back to her side.

"I...w-what?" Mr. Atkins blinked at her.

"Your wallet...and for that manner, the money stolen from the cash register. Were they recovered when my client was arrested?"

"I am able to answer that," Tiara looked over at McCray, slightly surprised. He had been silent for so long that she'd forgotten he was there. "The defendant was searched at the time of the arrest, as well as her purse. All 300 dollars were found in her purse, but...there was no sign of a wallet." he said said the last part with such reluctance that Tiara fought back a stern frown. However, at least now the odds were more or less in her favor again...

"Mr. Atkins, what material is your wallet made of?"

"Eh? It's leather...oh!" the man suddenly gasped.

"Leather holds fingerprints very well," Tiara said. "Therefore, this wallet is a crucial piece of evidence here. However, if it is not found, it cannot be concluded that Miss Siontz is truly responsible!"

"Objection," McCray folded his arms. "It has already been stated that all 300 dollars were in the defendant's possession!"

"Objection!" Tiara retorted. "However, with the photo being proved unreliable as evidence and the wallet unrecovered, there is no decisive proof that Miss Siontz was the culprit. She could have been framed, and one witness testimony is not enough to convict her."

Slight murmurs filled the courtroom. Judge Warmsley banged his gavel.

"Order!" he shouted. "The defense makes a very valid point. Without valid pieces of evidence, the defendant's guilt cannot be proven or disproven."

"..." Tiara could see Mr. Atkins gritting his teeth. She could feel that same chill again, but it lasted longer this time. A slight feeling of dread washed over her for a moment, but she shook it off long enough to get her voice back.

"There are no further questions, your Honor."

"Very well. The witness is free to go. Does the prosecution have another witness to call forward?" the Judge asked.

"W-well, your Honor," McCray cleared his throat. "There was one witness that claimed to have witnessed it all...unfortunately a family emergency has called her out of town. She won't be able to testify until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest."

"Hmm...well, I suppose this could be ideal. Not only does it give this other witness time to collect her thoughts, it allows the police team more time to find that missing wallet. Very well, if that is all from the prosecution, than the defense may bring forth their first witness."

"The defense calls the defendant, Miss Andrea Siontz, to the stand." Tiara declared evenly.

In the defendant's chair, Andrea was staring down at her hands in her lap. She stood up and strode over to the witness stand. The court reporter had her repeat the same oath of truth as Mr. Atkins before letting her sit down.

"Witness, please state your name and occupation for the court," Tiara started.

"My name's Andrea," the young woman said, her voice monotonous with the tiniest hint of irritation. "Andrea Siontz. I'm a sophomore at U of P...you know, University of Pittsburgh. The one in Bradford."

"Miss Siontz, could you please testify to the court about what happened on Thursday?"

"Sure..."

"I know it'll sound weird, but I wasn't at the shop that morning, at least, not inside. I passed by it, though. I had been on my way somewhere in a hurry, 'cause I'd overslept. When I got where I was going, though, I suddenly heard all these sirens and stuff, and next thing I knew all these policemen were in my face. They searched me and my purse and found a bunch of cash they say came from that ice cream shop. But honestly, I have no idea why it was there."

Tiara blinked. She'd been familiar with the woman's vague, blunt attitude, but this really took the cake. She had said everything in such a disinterested voice Tiara doubted she really knew what was happening right now. Still, a new feeling was creeping its way into her, one that was not unsettling, but rather reassuring. She was certain that even if there was more to Andrea's testimony than met the eye, there was nothing that could get her convicted of stealing from that shop.

"A-alright," Judge Warmsley blinked, also slightly taken aback by Andrea's coarse testimony. "The defense may cross-examine the witness."

"Miss Siontz," Tiara began. The young woman she addressed barely glanced her way. "You say you were never at the shop Thursday morning. However, Mr. Atkins did testify very clearly about you being the one who stormed into the shop. Do you have any explanation as to how this could be?" Tiara tried her hardest to keep her tone to a simply inquiring level.

"I dunno," Andrea said. "Like I said, it's weird. I never set foot in that ice cream shop after Wednesday."

"Oh, that's right," Tiara pulled out the photo. "You were at the shop Wednesday evening, weren't you?"

"Yeah," the younger woman replied. "I went there late because it was pretty quiet compared to where I was staying."

"...I've been meaning to ask," Tiara said. "You say you attend college in Bradford. That's quite far from Pennsylvania. What were you doing here?"

"I left for my cousin's birthday," she said. "He's turning 16 and stuff, so he got a big party. Needless to say it was crazy at the house, so I went out to get some peace. I went to that ice cream shop and was there for no more than an hour. Then I went back to the house, and the party was still going strong. My aunt made me stay up with everyone, so I was exhausted. That's why I overslept, by the way. I was frantic when I woke up and realized I was late..." Andrea trailed off, looking down at the floor.

'And she was being so open...' Tiara thought. "So, where were you going in such a hurry?"

"Nowhere important," she said quickly. "Just...meeting a friend. He just wanted to talk about some things."

'A friend, huh?' Tiara sighed inwardly. 'There's more to that than she's letting on...but I don't know if it really pertains to the case...I'll let that part alone, but...'

"Miss Siontz," Tiara's gaze at the other woman was intense. "Where did you meet this friend of yours?"

"At the park..."

"Did you see anything at all strange while you were there?"

"Nothing really..." Andrea blinked. "Well, except this pair of people, I guess. They weren't really doing anything out of the ordinary, but they kinda looked like cosplayers or something."

"Cosplayers?" Tiara repeated.

"Yeah, they were dressed kind of weird. It was a guy and a girl. The girl was wearing a really long dress and had some pretty crazy hair. The guy...I don't really know how to describe his costume. He kinda looked like he was dressed as an elf or something. They didn't really do anything, though."

Tiara's breath caught in her throat. She bit her lip, willing herself not to gasp out loud. She swallowed and nodded briskly.

"There are no further questions, your Honor."

"Very well then," the judge said. "Now, until the final witness comes forth to testify and all evidence has been found, neither the jury nor I can pass judgement. Therefore, the trial shall be continued and concluded tomorrow."

"I can guarantee that all the missing pieces of this puzzle will be collected by tomorrow, your Honor," Prosecutor McCray said.

"Then it is settled. Court is adjourned."

_**~Z~**_

"I gotta say, you're tougher than you look."

Tiara turned around to see McCray standing behind her, his arms folded and a complacent smile on his face.

"Not many rookies are able to pick apart a testimony like that," he said. "I underestimated you. You're not half bad, Mrs. Hart."

"You aren't all talk either, I suppose," Tiara replied.

"I'm trying my hardest. To be honest," McCray shrugged. "In the beginning I only wanted to win a guilty verdict. But then I got more interested in simply finding out what really happened in each case. The truth can be quite interesting to reveal."

"I suppose," Tiara raised her eyebrow. "Not to be rude, but is there a reason you are telling me all this?"

"Only to confirm my suspicions that you, my dear Mrs. Hart," he took a step toward her. "Are quite interested in the same. I do believe that we will have a wonderful show tomorrow...and on that note, I'll take my leave. See you tomorrow, Mrs. Hart."

"..." Tiara watched him leave the lobby in awe. She blinked, then shook her head and resumed looking for her phone in her purse. Niall would be on break by now...

The second she pulled the phone from her purse it began to sing loudly. She fumbled for the answer button and put it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Tia, we have a problem!" Niall's voice came through, with several screams and shouts sounding in the background.

_**~Z~**_

**I am so sorry for the delay, everyone. The court scene was a literal nightmare to write (like I started having really weird dreams while I was writing this), but it will contribute to the plot. Hopefully it's accurate; I tried to make it realistic to the American Court System but also used Phoenix Wright games as inspiration. Also sorry I left you on such a cliffhanger, but I actually find that ending chapters like that sort of keep my creative drive going. School will be starting back up again pretty soon, and maybe when I get an actual routine again I'll be able to update faster...I hope. Thank you for reading!**

**FUN TWO CENTS OF THE DAY: Is it just me, or are wild animals losing respect by the minute these days? I can't help but feel sad whenever I see animals that have lost so much of their home that they have to resort to eating in people's yards :S Woodland critters have needs, too. Plus it's irritating when your dad wakes you up by making loud noises, trying to shoo away a deer and her fawn.**

**EDIT: My laptop is extremely moody ;_;**


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